'There was a lot of talk about me and my performances' - Kane comes alive as England stroll into Wembley semi
England's Harry Kane celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Euro 2020 soccer championship quarterfinal match between Ukraine and England at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Saturday, July 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Ettore Ferrari, Pool)
Harry Kane finally exploded into goalscoring life at these European Championships with two goals, as Gareth Southgate’s team edged to within a victory of their first ever appearance in the tournament’s final.
Visits to the last four in 1968 and 1996 ended in defeat and if England are to reach that debut final, at Wembley next weekend, they will have to defeat a Denmark side riding the crest of an emotional wave since the heart episode suffered by Christian Eriksen in Wednesday’s semi.
But England are on an emotionally-charged journey of their own, under the excellent stewardship of Southgate, and made short work of a potentially difficult quarter-final tie in Rome with additional goals from Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson.
Kane is just one on a number of a growing list of success stories for England at these championships as they reached a semi for the second successive tournament following the Russia World Cup three years ago - three semis, if the 2019 Nations League is factored in.
And for the Tottenham striker, whose club future is the topic of much debate currently, a return to his characteristic lethal best after a lacklustre start to the summer could be hugely significant for England’s prospects of a first meaningful final since that famous day in 1966.
“It's always nice to score early in a game,” said Kane. “It's a great feeling to help the team. There was a lot of talk about me and my performances.
“But I'm just ready for the next game and try to lead this team to the European final. Now it's about getting over the line, the next step that we have got to do on Wednesday.
"We have more experience than 2018, we've been playing for our clubs in big games - Champions League finals, Premier League title races. We're looking confident.
“Hopefully we can continue that but the job is not done yet. There's a lot more football to play.” The start could not have been better for Kane and England, ahead after only four minutes, with Kane continuing where he left off with the final goal in the last 16 victory over Germany.
England’s man of the moment Raheem Sterling was the architect of the goal as he threaded an intricate pass through for his striking mate who held off a marker and poked in an unstoppable finish from eight yards.
After a slow start to the tournament, Kane’s return to goalscoring form could not have been more timely and the noisy England supporters in attendance at the Stadio Olimpico - in numbers far in excess of the official estimate of 2,500 - must have thought passage to the semi-finals was a foregone conclusion.
But the second half goal, just 55 seconds after the restart, was very necessary and timely, settling England nerves after the Ukraine had finished the first half strongly.
It came from a superb free-kick delivery from Luke Shaw which landed on the head of Manchester United team-mate Maguire to guide a majestic finish into the net from six yards.
After missing the end of the domestic season and being a major fitness doubt for the Euros, Maguire, like Kane, is playing at peak levels and could be a vital component if Southgate is to deliver.
“Back-to-back semi-finals at a major tournament is a great achievement,” said Maguire.
“I don't want to be a party pooper. But we have another big game coming up. We want to go further this time than at the World Cup.
“It is a great feeling that we are here and the way we have done it shows the progress we are making. Long may the improvement continue.
"It is hard to soak it up when you have another big coming and you know who you are playing and when.
“The dressing room will be a great atmosphere tonight and then we will wake up tomorrow and be focused again. This group are not settling for a semi-final, we want to go further.”
Kane’s second of the evening, his team’s third, just four minutes after Maguire’s effort, put the tie to rest and ended a run of three consecutive Euros quarter-finals for England that have ended in penalty shoot-outs.
Again, Shaw provided the assist with a left-wing cross from the by-line that hung in the air perfectly, giving Kane time to steel himself and power an emphatic header into the Ukranian goal.
Kane almost claimed a hat-trick with a stunning volley that was well saved by Bushchan after 62 minutes but, from Mason Mount’s corner, England substitute Jordan Henderson headed in his first international goal on his 62nd appearance.
The Liverpool man was one of a number of substitutes Southgate was able to make as he ensured players in danger of being suspended for Wednesday’s Wembley semi-final were spared the risk of a yellow card.
Pickford 6; Walker 5, Stones 7, Maguire 7, Shaw 8 (Trippier 64, 7); Phillips 6 (Bellingham 65, 6), Rice 7 (Henderson 56, 7); Sancho 7, Mount 6, Sterling 8 (Rashford 64, 6); Kane 9 (Calvert-Lewin 72, 6).
Grealish, Ramsdale, Mings, Coady, Foden, Chilwell, Johnstone.
Bushchan 6; Zabarnyi 5, Kryvtsov 6 (Tsygankov 35, 5), Matvienko 5; Karavaev 6, Shaparenko 5, Sydorchuk 5 (Makarenko 64, 5), Zinchenko 5, Mykolenko 5; Yarmolenko 6, Yaremchuk 7. Sobol, Sudakov, Stepanenko, Marlos, Pyatov, Bezus, Zubkov, Trubin, Tymchyk, Dovbyk.
Referee: Dr F Brych (Germany) 8
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