Harry Kane misses late penalty as France knock England out of World Cup
OFF THE MARK: England's Harry Kane misses from the penalty spot during the FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final match at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. Pic: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
New England. Old ghosts.
Gareth Southgate’s side stared at a World Cup semi-final date with a jaded and wounded Morocco and instead saw the demons from their past. They contrived to lose an incredible quarter-final duel with France from the penalty spot, despite the match finishing in 90 minutes.
Harry Kane, having scored once from 12 yards already, had a chance to bring them level for a second time with six minutes to go. It would have been more than deserved. It would also have given them all the impetus against a French side who thought they’d just wrested things back to Bleus. But the captain inexplicably blazed over high into the Al Khor night. Back home, TV screens immediately heard the names of villains past. Having exorcised World Cup penalty ghosts in Russia they found new ones at Wembley last summer. This fresh one may haunt this generation the longest.
This is likely to be the end of Southgate but you again wonder why? England were superb. So were France. It was arguably the highest-quality game Qatar has seen. Maybe the highest it will see. Didier Deschamps’ side will move on to face the heroic Moroccans, Argentina and Croatia’s dogs of war battling it out on the other side.
The contest ebbed and flowed from the off, Aurelien Tchouameni rifling in a splendid opener after Kylian Mbappé had made his presence felt away from the score or assist sheet. Kane equalised from the spot shortly after half time as England rose again. Olivier Giroud thought he had won it 12 minutes from time until Theo Hernandez’s brainless foul on Mason Mount gave Kane his second chance. There wouldn’t be a third. England will find some time and reason to point fingers at Wilton Sampaio’s erratic refereeing. But mostly they’ll wonder…and regret.
Southgate had stuck with what worked in this same, rejecting reflexes that may have told him to revert to a back five in an act of caution and protection of the weakest part of his team. But in the early stages it was clear that right back Kyle Walker would not be venturing forward as he normally might. Keeping Mbappé somewhat in check meant they did look closer to a three when in possession.
Things were lively from the get-go, Phil Foden foraging for a shooting chance in the opening minutes and at the other end first Mbappé from the left and then Ousmane Dembele from the right sending across balls that neither Olivier Giroud nor anyone else could get on the end of. The ball was being protected like a secret, crisp and careful passing from both sides as they found their way into it quickly.
Antoine Griezmann fooled Luke Shaw into overcommitting and released Dembele again on 11 minutes but the winger’s cross was a little behind Ground who meekly cushioned the first shot on target at Jordan Pickford. There would be nothing meek about the second.
In possession in a threatening part of the field, England switched off entirely, Bukayo Saka was dispossessed much too easily by Dayot Upamecano and crucially, when the ball was released down England’s right, it was clear that Walker had ventured too far forward. Mbappé picked up the ball and cut across the middle, Declan Rice’s lazy effort at a tactical foul doing little to slow him. The ball went right before coming back in where Griezmann laid it off and Tchouameni took half a touch and unleashed a low and lethal rocket. It whistled so satisfyingly off his right foot, its only destination the corner of Pickford’s net beyond his hands. A beauty.
France have made something of a habit of making the most difficult task in international football — defending a World Cup crown — look quite easy as it happens here. But England’s response left them in no doubt that this would be a battle. Southgate’s side dug right back into their task and found joy.
Five minutes after the opener, Harry Kane outmuscled Upamecano and bore down on his club mate and fellow captain Hugo Lloris. He went with the outside of his right foot instead of power from his left and Lloris snuffed it out. Four minutes later it was again Kane and Upamecano at the centre of things. They tangled legs on the edge of the box and Kane went down heavily but Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio waved away the appeals. A lengthy VAR check backed his call.
Lloris had to claw another deflected Kane effort away soon after but England had to be wary too. Adrien Rabiot was busy alongside Tchouameni, snapping and stealing ball and breaking quickly. France were happy to leave Harry Maguire and John Stones in possession but rattled into midfield much quicker. Walker stayed wary, which in turn was leaving Saka a little isolated on the English right. Mbappé was dictating things just by being out there. It was a really good game.
Then it found another level. Southgate resisted the urge to change things at the interval and trusted in his team. That’s the thing about this England, there’s a backbone to them that can’t be doubted. Bellingham burned Lloris’s fingers with a drive two minutes after the break and Saka, whose testicular fortitude can never be doubted, got back to his task, support or not.
Five minutes later it paid off when he dribbled in from the left and Tchouameni hung out a leg. This one was a penalty. Kane stared down his clubmate who looked the other way. The England captain respotted the ball until it was just right and then rifled it past Lloris.
After three incredibly tight quarter-finals before this we had ourselves another. England almost snoozed though and Rabiot stole in but Pickford turned it away. Unlike the previous three, the quality and tempo was not dropping, however. Before the hour mark Mbappé truly scorched Walker for the first time but the defender stayed just close enough to remove comfort and Mbappé’s cross fizzed past Giroud and Dembele who couldn’t find his feet.
No matter. France were keeping their heads, for now at least, and feeling their way back in. Eight minutes after Maguire had whistled a header past Lloris’s far post, Giroud beat him at the near post. Griezmann’s corner was fed back out to the veteran and he whipped a devilish cross back in. Giroud, who had just seen an effort clawed away by Pickford, moved into the space that he has made his own forever. Behind Stones and just enough in front of Maguire and powered it home with a little extra help from the Manchester United man.
France held their lead for four minutes before they had to hold their breath again. Theo Hernandez’s needless and mindless shove on Mason Mount was not enough for Sampaio first time round but a quick second look changed his mind. Kane looked for parity and found infamy.
Marcus Rashford came in as a final substitute and had the night’s final act as his injury-time free-kick whistled off the roof of Lloris’s net. When Sampaio blew his final whistle, the cameras went where you knew they would.
Kane lowered himself down on to his heels and held his head. But Southgate soon held it too and whispered words of advice and comfort to his captain. Cold comfort as they head home for a real winter. Just no escaping that spot.
Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Henderson (Mount 79), Rice, Bellingham; Saka (Sterling 79), Kane, Foden (Rashford 85).
Kane (54, P).
Maguire.
Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele (Coman 79), Griezmann, Mbappé; Giroud.
Tchouameni (17), Giroud (78)
Griezmann, Dembele, Hernandez.
Wilton Sampaio (Brazil).
68,895.
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