Kane sends penalty, England’s World Cup hopes, over the bar

By: The Associated Press Posted: 6:03 PM CST Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Late in the match and with the ball resting motionless on the penalty spot, Harry Kane stood ready, concentrated, eyeing the goal and his teammate from Tottenham in front of it.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/12/2022 (1395 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He started his run, he kicked the ball, and he missed — badly.

The shot sailed well over the crossbar and flew into the stands. France forward Kylian Mbappe celebrated emphatically, but Kane was far less animated. He pulled the front of his white England shirt up over his mouth, doing his best to ignore the wild scene going on around him as an immediate return to the World Cup semifinals slipped away.

England's Harry Kane reacts after the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between England and France, at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

That penalty chance came in the 84th minute and with England trailing 2-1 against the defending champions from France. It was the chance to get back on even terms, exactly 30 minutes after Kane had scored from that same penalty spot to make it 1-1.

The match ended 2-1, with France back in the semifinals and England gone — the team’s earliest elimination from a major soccer tournament since the 2016 European Championship.

“We know how many penalties Harry’s scored for us — he scored the first one — how many goals he’s contributed for us to even get here,” England midfielder Jordan Henderson said. “He’ll be stronger for it in the long run, I’m sure. He’s a world class striker, our captain and like I say, we wouldn’t be here without him.”

Kane won the Golden Boot as the leading scorer at the 2018 World Cup, when England reached the semifinals for its best showing at soccer’s biggest tournament since 1990. He scored four goals last year at Euro 2020, when England reached the final but lost to Italy in a penalty shootout.

In Qatar, Kane started all five matches and scored two goals. The first came against Senegal in the round of 16. The second on Saturday was Kane’s 53rd goal for England, moving him into a tie with Wayne Rooney for the most goals scored for the national team.

“He’s been incredible for us and is so reliable in those sorts of situations,” England coach Gareth Southgate. “We wouldn’t be here but for the number of goals he’s scored for us.”