Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England from the brink of World Cup elimination, turning a nightmare start into a 2-1 victory over DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday.
The England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford endured a disastrous opening, beaten at his near post by Brian Cipenga’s shot after just minutes. Djed Spence was caught in an awkward position for the goal, missing a header when tracking a runner into the box and leaving too much ground to cover. The back four, featuring Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Nico O’Reilly alongside Spence, looked vulnerable throughout the first half. BBC Sport reporter Alex Howell noted that the defence “has not looked convincing” during the tournament, with questions about the space afforded to opposition attacks.
“Harry Kane scored twice to rescue England from a nightmare start, beating DR Congo 2-1 to reach the World Cup last 16.”
England’s midfield struggled to control the game. Elliot Anderson was left “with massive amounts of space to cover” in an open midfield, while Jude Bellingham tried to inject energy but was booked for a late challenge and had two headers saved by the excellent Lionel Mpasi. Noni Madueke provided England’s best first-half chance, crossing for Marcus Rashford whose shot was cleared off the line, but both wingers were substituted in the second half.
Declan Rice, rated 7, stepped up after the goal, imposing himself on the game and delivering dangerous set-pieces. Yet it was Kane who carried England forward. The talismanic striker scored a fine header to bring the Three Lions level before an emphatic second goal sealed the win, earning him a 9 rating. “England are being carried by their talismanic striker,” Howell wrote. “With Kane in this type of form England always have a chance.”
The comeback sets up a last-16 tie with co-hosts Mexico, keeping England’s World Cup dream alive. But the performance raised fresh doubts about a defence that has looked shaky throughout the tournament, with Konsa missing a big second-half chance to equalise before Kane’s heroics made it irrelevant.