Harry Kane came to England's rescue as they avoided a seismic World Cup upset against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to set up a last-16 tie against co-hosts Mexico next week. The Bayern Munich striker scored twice in the last 15 minutes to save manager Thomas Tuchel's blushes after Brian Cipenga had given the African side a shock early lead. It was the first time that England have won a game at the World Cup after conceding the first goal since beating West Germany in the 1966 final at Wembley.
England Struggle in Atlanta Heat
England looked extremely disjointed during the first half in Atlanta, where it is estimated around 10,000 Three Lions supporters made the trip for the game that kicked off at midday local time and 5pm in the UK. Having been denied on several occasions by DRC goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, Kane finally equalised with 15 minutes remaining before smashing home the winner just before the end of normal time.
Kane has now scored 13 goals at the World Cup finals, extending the record he took from Gary Lineker. He led the post-match celebrations, with several players joining supporters in a rendition of Wonderwall by Oasis. “We spoke about people having hero moments. It can be anyone in the team, whether it's me, a save, a block from the defenders, whoever it is. We have hero moments and for me it was today,” said Kane. “You have to stay patient in these games. The last couple of games have been similar and obviously when you get to knockout football the pressure is higher, the risk is higher.”
Tuchel's Call for Young Fans
England will now travel to the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City – where Diego Maradona scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal against them for Argentina 40 years ago in the 1986 World Cup – for their next game. That is due to kick off at 1am on Monday UK time, but Tuchel said he hoped many children back home would be allowed to stay up and watch. “Write an excuse for school and let them watch football,” said the England head coach. “They have so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch, there will be a big, big match in four days and we need the support of everyone and especially of the children.”
Mexico Challenge Looms
England must prepare to take on a Mexico team that has never lost a World Cup match at the Estadio Azteca, situated more than 2,000m above sea level. Javier Aguirre's side defeated Ecuador on Wednesday in their fourth successive victory of the World Cup so far and have not yet conceded a goal in the tournament. Tuchel admitted the altitude would give Mexico a considerable advantage but was hopeful that England's pre-tournament hot weather training camp in Miami would pay dividends. “It is maybe one of the most beautiful and exciting fixtures that you can have against Mexico in the Azteca and there will be a lot of obstacles waiting for us,” Tuchel said. “Not to mention the altitude will be of course a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it and in four days it's just impossible. More obstacles may come, but we are ready for that. Maybe we have the ideal platform now to genuinely believe that we are ready for that. When the going gets tough, we will find the answers.”
Carnival Atmosphere and Notable Absence
There had been a carnival atmosphere before the early kick-off despite temperatures in the city that hosted the 1996 Olympics exceeding 34°C. One notable absence among the crowd was the DRC supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, known as “Lumumba Vea” for dressing up as Patrice Lumumba. He usually stands still with his arm raised throughout DRC matches but was unable to attend after being denied a visa to the US. Those DRC supporters who did make it celebrated their goal with jubilation in the country's first-ever World Cup knockout match. But despite toiling for much of the game, it was England who kept their nerve, once again indebted to captain Kane, who has now scored 72 goals for club and country this season. Vice-captain Declan Rice said: “If you give him a chance it's a goal. It's just ridiculous, so credit to him.”
