Harry Kane’s brace helped England come from behind to defeat DR Congo with a score of 2-1, officially ending a sad record lasting throughout 60 years at World Cups.
The victory in Atlanta marks the first time since the 1966 final that the “Three Lions” won a World Cup match after trailing. This result ends a streak of 13 consecutive matches without knowing the taste of victory when the “Three Lions” conceded first, while also erasing a streak of 9 draws and losses if trailing after the first half of play.
The match in the round of 32 took place full of turbulence for Thomas Tuchel and his students when Brian Cipenga opened the scoring for the African representative right from the 7th minute. It was not until after the second-half water break that Harry Kane shone brilliantly with a brace to complete the comeback.
The forward on the books of Bayern Munich also became the first English player to score two goals in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker’s feat in 1990, thereby extending his individual record at this year’s World Cup.
Despite preserving a perfect winning record against African teams, England’s style of play still left many doubts. A shaky defense throughout the match is a big problem for coach Tuchel ahead of the round of 16. The next opponent of the “Three Lions” will be hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on July 6.
