Harry Kane went through all the emotions against DR Congo in Atlanta – a crazy game, he called it, where England fell behind before their captain snatched victory from the jaws of humiliation. Kane’s brace in the round of 32 took his tournament tally to five goals, just one behind Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, and kept the Three Lions’ World Cup dream alive.
“It feels amazing to be honest,” Kane said after the win. “What a crazy game. First and foremost we were playing against a tough team, an organised team. We went behind but after the first hydration break we upped the level and looked good. Their keeper made some unbelievable saves. It was about keep pounding and our moment will come.”
“Harry Kane scored twice to save England from World Cup humiliation against DR Congo in Atlanta, taking his tournament tally to five.”
The moment came twice for the 32-year-old striker, who has now scored 61 goals and added seven assists in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich this season. That form has prompted talk of a Ballon d’Or, and former England winger Joe Cole believes the world is finally appreciating Kane’s quality – because he left Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, Cole said: “Do you know what? That’s the problem with us [England], it ain’t till he’s gone to Germany and smashed it. Germans have gone ‘wow’ that he’s getting his flowers now because he’s been, arguably... I’m blaming Tottenham. I blame ’em for most things, but we’ve not ever appreciated him until now and he’s standing on the shoulders of everyone.”
At Tottenham, Kane amassed 280 goals and 63 assists in 435 appearances, reached the 2019 Champions League final, but left without a major trophy. Now at Bayern, he has won two Bundesliga titles and is on the verge of besting his best World Cup tally: six goals in 2018. But Kane insists England’s progress depends on everyone contributing. “We spoke about people having hero moments, whether it is me, a save from Pickford, a block from the defenders, whoever it is.”
Kane will need to take that form into Monday, when the Three Lions step into the sky-high cauldron that is the…