Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to drag England from the brink of a humiliating World Cup exit, but the 2-1 victory over DR Congo came at a cost – Declan Rice limped off with an ice pack on his quad, casting doubt on his fitness for the round-of-16 clash with co-hosts Mexico.
England had fallen behind after only seven minutes in Atlanta, when Brian Cipenga beat Jordan Pickford at his near post. The 46th-ranked side had caught Thomas Tuchel’s team off guard with a formation shift, switching from their usual 5-3-2 to a 4-4-2. That move allowed DR Congo to outnumber England’s front two in build-up, pulling wingers Marcus Rashford and Noni Madueke wide and leaving central midfielders Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson dragged out of position. “Their goalkeeper, credit to him, he had an absolute worldie,” Rice later said.
“Harry Kane's two late goals save England against DR Congo, but Declan Rice's injury casts doubt on Mexico last-16 clash.”
England laboured until Kane equalised in the 75th minute, then struck again in the 86th to complete the comeback. Rice, who had been moved to right-back before the turnaround, was substituted in the dying moments for John Stones. The 27-year-old Arsenal midfielder, who missed England’s previous game against Panama with a calf injury and has also battled back and hamstring problems, insisted afterwards: “I’m fine. Good as gold. It’s what happens when you play in 30-degree heat I suppose.”
Yet the sight of Rice icing his quad will worry Tuchel, especially with Mexico awaiting at the iconic Estadio Azteca – a fortress where the hosts have never lost a World Cup fixture in 89 competitive matches, suffering only two defeats, to Brazil and Argentina. Mexico, who employ a 4-3-3 similar in principle to DR Congo’s width-and-rotation tactics, present an even sterner test.
“It’s a knockout game,” Rice added. “They’ve got through a tough group and it was never going to be easy. Harry Kane, inevitable, scoring them goals. The main thing is knockouts we win and that’s what we done.” England will need to step it up – and hope their key midfielder is indeed good as gold.