In a futuristic, gleaming steel stadium, protected from the hellish heat that beat down outside by a translucent dome, England spent 68 minutes wrestling with nightmares and staring at a defeat that would have ranked alongside their loss to the USA at the 1950 World Cup in Belo Horizonte as the worst in their history.
Undone by their own abysmal defending in this Round of 32 match, kept at bay by the heroic performance of DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and denied what looked like a certain penalty for a foul on Harry Kane by the Jordanian referee, England were stalked by thoughts of the humiliation of an early exit when they had come to win the World Cup.
Instead, well, instead, just Harry Kane. It is as simple as that, really. Sure, Jude Bellingham played like a titan again and Anthony Gordon made a big difference when he came off the bench but when a crushing 1-0 defeat was only 15 minutes away, Kane stepped up and blasted England into a Round of 16 tie against Mexico City in the mighty Azteca Stadium on Sunday evening.
Kane came to the rescue, as he so often does. He scored twice in 11 minutes. His first goal was a firm header, the space won by clever movement, that finally undid the resistance of Mpasi. The second was a bullet of a shot that not even a combination of Mpasi and England’s other old goalkeeping nemesis Jan Tomaszewski could ever have saved. It nearly burst the net.
Kane’s goals mean he is level with Erling Haaland on five goals in the race for the Golden Boot. Only Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, both on six, have more. It is about time we started to recognise that Kane is a phenomenon.
He has now scored more goals for England than Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer combined. He will surely become England’s first goalscoring centurion. I have always considered Paul Gascoigne the best player England has produced since 1966. Kane has usurped him now. His achievements take the breath away.
Harry Kane rescued England from the brink of World Cup elimination with a superb late brace
After equalising in the 75th minute, he produced a moment of brilliance to score a late winner
When it looked as though England may be heading out of the World Cup, Kane finally equalised with a header in the 75th minute before wheeling away in celebration with Jude Bellingham
And so England were delivered. Just when everyone was working out where a defeat to DR Congo would rank alongside the USA loss and the exit at the hands of Iceland in Euro 2016, Kane stepped up again with his 12th and 13th goals in World Cups. However hard anyone has tried this season, no one can keep the England captain down.
Even though England rallied furiously and had the majority of the play, the manner of their victory and the emotional toll it must have taken on them and fans alike do not bode particularly well for their prospects in Mexico. They will need to play so much better than this to get past the co-hosts in a game at altitude in front of their home fans.
It was hard not to feel sympathy for DR Congo. The Leopards came to this tournament to exorcise the ghosts of their only previous appearance at a World Cup, in 1974, when, playing as Zaire, they lost 9-0 to Yugoslavia and became the butt of jokes when one of their players rushed out of the wall during a tie against Brazil and booted the ball away before the free kick had been taken.
They have achieved that goal here. They qualified for the knock-out phase and they took England to the wire here. They can leave here full of pride in their performance. They are a joke no longer. The joke was very nearly on England.
It did not take not for their back-four to be unpicked. When a cross was played to the edge of the England box, Konsa been dragged too far to his left and had allowed Spence to be isolated with Noah Sadiki and Brian Cipenga.
Spence challenged Sadiki in the air but both men missed it and the ball landed at the feet of Cipenga. He took a touch and then rifled a low shot past Jordan Pickford at his near post. Pickford should have saved it but he has looked uncharacteristically unsure at this World Cup and his mistake fitted a pattern.
England were shaken. DR Congo looked more hungry and more eager. They pressed England relentlessly and England struggled to cope. Pickford hit a hasty clearance that belied his nerves. Jude Bellingham was booked for a rash, lunging challenge on Nathaniel Mbuku. England’s fans grew restless as they watched the chaos unfolding in front of them.
Kane gives a rousing speech to his team after dragging England through the difficult game
Brian Cipenga stunned England with an early goal to hand DR Congo a shock lead in Atlanta
DR Congo found him isolated on the left-hand side and he beat Jordan Pickford at his near post
When the first quarter was brought to an end by the advertising break, it could not have come at a better time for England. They desperately needed to regroup. Soon after it, Declan Rice created England’s first chance of the game. His deep cross was met with a fine header by Bellingham but Lionel Mpasi flung himself to his left and pushed the ball away.
England pressed hard for an equaliser. Harry Kane was denied by a fine tackle from Axel Tuanzebe but the ball broke loose and Marcus Rashford sidefooted it towards goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was on the line and he blocked the shot with both knees.
England’s defending was still abysmal. Wan-Bissaka was allowed time and space to swing a low cross into the near post and Yoane Wissa met it unchallenged. He could not quite get a clean connection on it and the ball brushed the outside of the post. It was a mighty escape for England.
A few minutes later, DR Congo were given a reprieve of their own. Kane ran on to a clever through-ball inside Tuanzebe and touched the ball past Mpasi. Mpasi dived at his feet. The goalkeeper missed the ball and caught Kane on the foot. It appeared to be an obvious penalty.
But not according to referee Adham Makhadmeh. The Jordanian official indicated that he believed Kane had dived. He believed that Kane had invited the contact. Wayne Rooney offered much the same opinion. Kane looked astonished. There has been a policy at this tournament of not overriding the on-field decision but surely there was a case for doing it this time.
England redoubled their efforts. They could not be accused of wilting now. Noni Madueke curled in a fine cross that Bellingham met full on. Mpasi produced another terrific save. In time added on at the end of the half, Mpasi saved again from a Kane volley. It felt as if Mpasi was unbeatable. Echoes of Jan Tomaszewski’s magnificently defiant performance for Poland against England at Wembley in 1973 came rolling down the years.
Jude Bellingham had a great chance to equalise but could not direct his header into the corner
England were denied what appeared to be a stonewall penalty after Kane drew contact in the area – but was adjudged by the referee and VAR to have dived to the fury of Thomas Tuchel
Moments later, DR Congo Lionel Mpasi put his body on the line to prevent Kane from scoring
Five minutes after half-time, Rashford turned his man inside out but then wasted the chance by rifling the ball into the side-netting. A minute later, Mpasi produced more heroics, twisting in mid-air when a shot from Bellingham took a heavy deflection off a defender. Somehow, Mpasi kept the ball out with his right hand and it was scrambled clear.
An hour passed and Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon came on for Madueke and Rashford. Fifteen minutes later, it was Gordon who helped to make the difference. His dinked cross found Kane ghosting in to the six-yard box. Tuanzebe switched off and let him go and Kane planted his header beyond Mpasi, who was beaten at last.
DR Congo began to tire. England sensed opportunity. Five minutes from time, Mpasi made yet another save from Bellingham but Gordon retrieved the loose ball and fed Kane. Kane ran across the edge of the area, sidestepped a challenge and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.
Kane was mobbed by his teammates, who were in awe of his finish. In the background, Bellingham fell to his knees in a gesture of thanks and relief. He spoke for a nation.
