Norway's striker Alexander Sørloth is facing massive online hate after their World Cup exit. Fans are angry he didn't pass to Haaland during a crucial moment against England. But, star teammates Haaland and Ødegaard are backing him up completely.
After Norway's quarter-final loss to England in the World Cup, their striker Alexander Sørloth is getting heavily trolled online. Fans are absolutely furious that he tried to score a goal himself instead of passing to a perfectly-placed Erling Haaland.
However, Sørloth's teammates have his back. Haaland himself came forward to support him, explaining that what Sørloth did—taking a shot instead of passing—is a very common situation in football. Norway's captain and Arsenal star, Martin Ødegaard, also stood firmly with Sørloth. "I will not let anyone blame Sørloth," Ødegaard said. He added that people only remember the last few chances, forgetting that Sørloth had played brilliantly for the team throughout the tournament.
It was just one moment, but it caused a huge storm. Sørloth probably never imagined it would blow up like this. If he had passed the ball to Haaland and it had resulted in a goal, Norway would have gained a clear upper hand over England, and maybe even won the match. Instead, fans are slamming what they call his 'flawed decision' with harsh criticism on social media. Sørloth's partner, Lena Selnes, also pointed out the nasty comments that were flooding in.
Sørloth later explained his side of the story. He said he thought English defender John Stones was about to block the passing lane, which is why he decided to take the shot himself. But fans aren't buying it, claiming his 'ego' led to the massive blunder. While Haaland did show his frustration on the field right after the missed chance, he fully supported Sørloth off the field.
This was a heartbreaking end to Norway's World Cup campaign, especially since they had qualified for the tournament after a long gap of 28 years. They were knocked out by England in the quarter-finals.
