Brentford at the World Cup: a wild night ends Henderson’s tournament and leaves Ajer to face England

Igor Thiago watched Brazil’s forwards fluff their lines from the bench, and Jordan Henderson was carried off celebrating a win he didn’t play in, leaving Kristoffer Ajer as Brentford’s lone representative still at the World Cup

A fortnight ago there were four Brentford players at the World Cup. Aaron Hickey was the first to go, his injury-hit tournament ending when Scotland were knocked out in the group stage.

Then came Sunday, a chaotic day in North America with two knockout ties a few hours apart, and by the end of it the club was down to one. Only Kristoffer Ajer survives, and he stands in the way of a place for England in the semi-final.

Norway stun Brazil

Ajer’s Norway, at their first World Cup in 28 years, were not supposed to lay a glove on the five-time winners, but an Erling Haaland double in the last 11 minutes sent Brazil crashing out at the earliest stage since 1990.

It was a nervy night for the one Bee on the pitch. Ajer gave away a penalty inside the opening quarter-hour, hauling down Matheus Cunha in the box, and was let off only because Bruno Guimarães fluffed the spot-kick straight at goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland.

Later, a few minutes after Norway had gone ahead, he almost turned the ball into his own net, and again Nyland rescued him with a fingertip save. Between those two scares, to his credit, Ajer was calm and composed against a talented forward line.

The same could not be said for Brazil’s attackers, who spurned chance after chance, Vinícius Júnior and the substitute Endrick the chief culprits. Watching them flatter to deceive, unused on the bench once again, was Brentford’s leading man.

For Igor Thiago it was a dissapointing end to a strange tournament. Brentford’s 22-goal striker, second only to Haaland in the Premier League scoring charts last season, started the opening game against Morocco, was taken off after an hour, and did not play another minute.

Not against Haiti or Scotland in the groups, and not against Japan and finally Norway with his country’s World Cup on the line.

At least Thiago is only 25, so this is unlikely to be his last chance. By the 2030 World Cup he will be 29 and, in theory, at his peak, though he will have to climb his way up that crowded Brazil attack first.

England survive, but Henderson’s tournament comes to a farcical end

Three hours later and 2,500 miles south, England came through 3-2 at a raucous Azteca, down to ten men for the last half-hour after Jarell Quansah’s red card, two Jude Bellingham goals and a Harry Kane penalty carrying them into the last eight.

The day before the game, Jordan Henderson had been in cheerful form at England’s press conference, laughing off online rumours that the squad might turn to Viagra to cope with the altitude in Mexico City. ‘The Viagra helped, I think,’ he joked, before quickly making clear he was kidding.

It would be unfair to call Henderson a mascot, but the midfielder was largely understood to have been included in the squad almsot as an extension to the coaching stuff, Henderson’s only football of the tournament had been a brief cameo against Panama, and he did not get on against Mexico either, but he still found two ways onto the highlights.

First he was booked, in the 98th minute, for arguing with the referee and getting involved in an England throw-in from the sideline, then, as the players sang Wonderwall celebrating the dramatic victory with the travelling fans, he tried to haul himself over the advertising hoarding behind the goal, lost his grip and fell awkwardly, landing on his wrist.

He was given oxygen, stretchered off and taken to hospital in Mexico City. ‘It just doesn’t fit to the evening that Jordan is now not with us,’ said Tuchel. It has since been confirmed that he needs surgery and will take no further part in the tournament.

It is a desperately flat way for a fourth World Cup to end, and in all likelihood it closes the book at this level: Henderson will be 40 by 2030.

For a player who fought his way back into the squad and became the first Englishman named in seven major tournament squads, a fall over an advertising board is a cruel full stop. He may even miss the start of Brentford’s season.

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