Solbakken: England favourites, but 'not big, big'
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- Stale Solbakken told BBC Sport England are favorites for Saturday's 22:00 BST World Cup quarterfinal in Miami but insisted they are "not big, big favourites," despite his side knocking out five-time champions Brazil in the last 16.
- Solbakken said England carry more pressure and credited Thomas Tuchel's squad for having several match-winners, noting the team has options "that if one doesn't have the day, another comes in" — citing Kane, Bellingham and their wing players, plus midfielders Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice.
- The Norway boss pushed back on framing the tie as a Haaland-Kane duel, calling both strikers their teams' "match-winner number one" after Erling Haaland's seven tournament goals carried Norway to their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1998.
- Solbakken conceded his side won't repeat the 66.4% possession they held against Brazil in the last 16, saying his team has trained lightly in Miami's heat to stay "fresh for tomorrow."
- The Miami winner faces Argentina or Switzerland next Wednesday in Atlanta (20:00 BST) for a place in the July 19 final.
- Solbakken, 58, used his news conference to wish childhood Liverpool idol Kevin Keegan — 75, with stage four cancer disclosed in June — well, describing Keegan's 1982 World Cup cameo against Spain as a personal "biggest regret in World Cup history."
Why it matters: With Solbakken labeling England favorites and conceding they won't dominate possession like the 66.4% they posted against Brazil, Tuchel's side enters Saturday's 22:00 BST Miami quarterfinal holding the pre-match narrative, with the winner advancing to face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday for a July 19 final spot.
