Harry Kane once again proved to be England's saviour, scoring twice in 11 minutes to overturn a 1-0 deficit against DR Congo and send the Three Lions into the World Cup last 16. Despite a largely unconvincing display, international media were surprisingly restrained in their criticism, instead focusing on Kane's brilliance and England's reliance on him.
Kane's Heroics Mask Poor Performance
England trailed to Brian Cipenga's seventh-minute opener and were heading for one of their worst-ever World Cup results. However, Kane stepped up to score twice, securing a 2-1 victory and a last-16 clash against Mexico in Mexico City. Spanish outlet El Mundo said: "The striker demonstrated once again why he is their star player, the only one capable of maintaining the necessary composure to prevent Congo from making them look ridiculous, orchestrating an epic comeback in the final stages of the match."
Comparisons to Euro 2016 Iceland Defeat
French newspaper L'Equipe drew parallels with England's "grotesque" defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, noting: "The English fans felt a deep anxiety, which they had probably not felt for 10 years and the grotesque elimination conceded by the Three Lions against Iceland (1-2) in the round of 16 of Euro 2016. The spectre of a similar fiasco loomed large in Atlanta." L'Equipe added: "Kane confirmed his status as the absolute saviour of a team that will once again rely on him."
Gordon's Impact and Klopp's Praise
Australia's Fox Sports, reporting from a London pub, highlighted substitute Anthony Gordon's role in both goals: "With substitute Anthony Gordon proving lively, much to the surprise of the fans at the pub who had been slagging him off when he was introduced into the game early in the second half, the star striker delivered in style." Germany's Die Welt branded Kane "King Kane" and wrote: "Thanks to their star striker Harry Kane, Thomas Tuchel's team avoided an embarrassing defeat." Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking on Magenta TV, called it the "perfect World Cup match," comparing Kane's influence to Lionel Messi's on Argentina: "I've truly never seen the kind of impact Harry Kane has. When Harry Kane isn't working, and that was the case for the first 30 minutes, then England isn't working either. The moment he found his old form in the second half, he was practically unstoppable. Harry Kane is the English Messi."
