England needed two late goals from captain Harry Kane to storm back and hold off a determined team from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, earning a 2-1 victory that narrowly avoided one of the biggest World Cup upsets in history.
Match Details
The Congolese shocked the mostly English crowd in Atlanta when Brian Cipenga was left unmarked at the far post on a cross in the seventh minute. He calmly collected the ball and fired a shot past keeper Jordan Pickford, giving the African side a stunning 1-0 lead in the opening minutes of the match.
The English appeared rattled in the ensuing periods of play, controlling the ball for long stretches without much end product before the Congolese hit back on the counterattack. The hydration break was much needed for England, and the stoppage was greeted with an outpouring of boos.
England’s equalizer finally came in the 74th minute when Kane rose highest for a header in the box sent in by Gordon, nodding the ball past a diving Mpasi to make it 1-1. The England crowd erupted in relief and joy, suddenly feeling the weight lifted off their shoulders and roaring their team on to go find a winner.
England’s deliverance came in the 85th minute when Kane sent one more shot past Mpasi, ending Congo’s hopes for a historic upset.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
