Didn't pass to Haaland when he was wide open! 30-year-old Norwegian striker faces online abuse, responds to controversy: I wasn't capable of making the pass

On the evening of July 12, Beijing time, 30-year-old Norwegian striker Sørloth responded to the huge controversy over not passing to Haaland in the World Cup quarterfinal. Sørloth said frankly that he didn't intend to withhold the pass, but rather he was incapable of making it.

In the World Cup quarterfinal between England and Norway, Norway initially took the lead. In the 44th minute, Norway had an opportunity to extend their advantage.

At that time, captain Ødegaard delivered a through ball to Sørloth. Within a few seconds, Sørloth and Haaland faced John Stones in a two-on-one situation, with Declan Rice and Nico O'Riley chasing from behind.

The entire nation of Norway might have been urging Sørloth to pass the ball to Haaland, who was in an open position on the left. Yet Sørloth unexpectedly slowed down and tried to take on Stones.

He then took a hasty shot, which was blocked and ended up in the arms of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. In response to Sørloth's choice, the usually mild-tempered Haaland could only shrug in frustration, showing his confusion.

After the match, Sørloth faced a storm of abuse from Norwegian fans, and even his partner was targeted, receiving death threats on social media.

In a recent interview, Sørloth responded helplessly: "In that situation, the only thing I wanted to do was pass to Haaland. But I saw Stones blocking the passing lane. I felt I wasn't capable of making the pass, so I chose to shoot."

When asked whether he deliberately chose not to pass to Haaland, Sørloth said: "It feels heavy. These kinds of situations always make you wish you could have done better. I know there will be new opportunities later, but when it happens on the biggest stage and we are fighting to reach the World Cup semifinals, it's naturally heavy."