Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNot surprisingly Kane, who carried a back injury into the Euros two years ago when England were beaten in the final, earned man of the match honours but was still breathless as he assessed a miraculous escape.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels amazing, to be honest,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
England had kept \u201cpounding the rug\u201d in a knockout encounter where \u201cthe risk\u201d and \u201cthe pressure\u201d was higher and come away on top, Kane said with an air of disbelief and relief.<\/p>\n
And as the Three Lions were celebrating their progression to a last 16 clash against co-hosts Mexico, the chant began. <\/p>\n
\u201cHaaarrry. HaaaRRRY. HAAAARRRRY.\u201d <\/p>\n
The skipper had emerged as a Messiah in the nick of time, saving a nation from going into early mourning.<\/p>\n
Cue the British tabloid wordplay.<\/p>\n
\u2018That was Tuch and go, Harry\u2019, ran the Mirror, with a nod to manager Thomas Tuchel, who may well have been sacked if England was eliminated this early. <\/p>\n
The Daily Star ran a headline \u2018Harry Houdini\u2019, while the Star, acknowledging that England now returns to the Azteca \u2014 site of Diego Maradona\u2019s 1986 Hand of God<\/i> against the nation \u2014 played on the monumental occasion.<\/p>\n
\u2018Armband of God\u2019, read its headline with a picture of captain Kane. <\/p>\n
Inside the rags themselves were less joyful sentiments, however, with the nation reeling from a near death experience. <\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Harry Kane and the British tabloid reaction.<\/span>Source: FOX SPORTS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Telegraph\u2019s Oliver Brown penned a piece with the headline \u2018It looks like England will need a refund on tournament master Tuchel\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cSqueaking past a country that finished second in its African qualifying group is scarcely a credible audition for beating Mexico at high altitude, Brazil in Miami, and then Argentina and France. Yes, that is the terrifying path that awaits,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd with the nerves of a nation already shredded, Tuchel seems not to have the faintest idea how to navigate it.\u201d <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, The Guardian\u2019s Barney Ronay declared this England side a worryingly \u201cone-man team\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor long periods ragged English naivety was exposed by DRC tactical discipline,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relief at the final whistle was profound for England\u2019s players and fans as they sang together at the far end.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey showed real spirit to turn the game around. Above all they have Kane, a temporary fix for a great deal of wrong, but on days like this a one-man national team.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nHarry Kane denied OBVIOUS penalty | 00:29<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nA white knuckle ride<\/b><\/p>\n
It is scarcely surprising that there was a stark difference in the manner with which English fans approached the knockout game compared to their most recent outing against Panama last Saturday.<\/p>\n
A sustained heatwave during the previous week had knocked the stuffing out of most in London, but with England unbeaten heading into their final group match, the fans rallied.<\/p>\n
There was a distinct air of confidence among patrons at The George IV Hotel in Chiswick despite a dour first half that had plenty pondering whether \u201cthis mob\u201d was up to it.<\/p>\n
But two second half goals had the pub belting out an anthem now intrinsic to every English campaign. Football, the proclaimed proudly and relentlessly, was \u201ccoming home, it\u2019s coming home, IT\u2019S COMING HOME!\u201d.<\/p>\n
It remains bewildering to some as to how a song that was penned as a piss-take surrounding England\u2019s inability to snare another World Cup after the heroics of 1966 is now chanted with such enthusiasm and patriotism.<\/p>\n
Then again, there are plenty of Aussies belting out Cold Chisel\u2019s Khe Sahn<\/i> and Americans bellowing Born In The USA<\/i> without any apparent thought to the meaning behind the lyrics, so perhaps that is best left alone. <\/p>\n
Concerns had been raised about the English defence. But the English pundits and fans were happy with the attack, with Kane moving freely and Jude Bellingham looking dangerous with every forward thrust.<\/p>\n
And when Germany fell to Paraguay on penalties on Monday night, English fans could scarcely stop laughing. What grand theatre this World Cup was proving. IT\u2019S COMING HOME.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 01: England fans during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between England and Congo DR at Atlanta Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Richard Pelham\/Getty Images)<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWorld Cup fever strikes Wimbledon<\/b><\/p>\n
Football purists would scarcely step foot into a pub like The Rose and Crown to watch a World Cup game, not to dissuade anyone from having an ale there if in the south west of London.<\/p>\n
Situated in Wimbledon village, and not too far from The Dog and Fox where Nick Kyrgios once nailed a few pints the night before facing Rafael Nadal at the All England Club, it is a lovely pub that is absolutely rammed during the tournament.<\/p>\n
But it served a purpose for locals, tennis fans and young staffers alike on Wednesday afternoon for a World Cup match that began at 5pm, about the time Kyrgios stepped on to court for a brief but unsuccessful outing in the Wimbledon doubles.<\/p>\n
He was cursing too, but not about the initial goal coughed up by England or their inability to level. And he later declared he might not be coming back to Wimbledon, where he was a finalist in 2022.<\/p>\n
While the All England Club does not screen the football on site – there are whispers about windows being blacked out in certain offices when either the Euros or the World Cup is on to ensure no-one is spotted watching it – Wimbledon nonetheless has football fever, as Alex de Minaur noted.<\/p>\n
The Aussie, who plays Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the second round on Thursday, is a passionate Real Madrid fan who was considered an exceptional talent when spending part of his childhood in Spain.<\/p>\n
With his mum Esther and siblings still based in Alicante, and set to marry an English rose in Katie Boulter not long after Wimbledon, the World Cup has been a constant distraction for the Demon.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I love it. I feel like whenever there\u2019s so much sport going on at the same time \u2026 you\u2019ve got the sun out and it\u2019s a beautiful time,\u201d de Minaur said. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have the pubs full, living and loving football, and you\u2019ve got Wimbledon on. I think it\u2019s just great. Every night, every weekend we\u2019re kind of just putting on the TV, we\u2019re flicking through either tennis matches or football matches, right?<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, there\u2019s some that we follow a little bit closer than others. But as you said, I\u2019ve got basically a Spanish team, right? All the Spanish games, unless they\u2019re on a tough schedule. And we\u2019ve got Australia and we\u2019ve got the UK, right?<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a couple nights where we\u2019ve just had a barbie at home and just watched the football. It\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before kick-off in the famous Wimbledon queue, an Aussie journalist penning a feature on those prepared to wait several hours to catch a glimpse of the action at the famous tournament reported some elaborate constructions of \u201chome made\u201d televisions.<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nDemon advances to 2nd Round at Wimbledon | 00:45<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nBack on the grounds members of the European Ryder Cup team that pulled off a big win in New York last September, including Rory McIlroy dressed in his green jacket, were invitees to the Royal Box.<\/p>\n
But English news wire service PA reported that Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Luke Donald departed their seats midway through the clash between Barbora Krejcikova and Mirra Andreeva after the Three Lions fell behind 1-0.<\/p>\n
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic was scheduled to clash with former Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitispas midway through the World Cup clash and said he had no issues if fans tuned in to watch their nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I had that experience before here in Wimbledon a few times with European cups, World Cups in the past with particularly interesting matches,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I played, scheduled last on Centre Court (and) England would be playing, that would be interesting for me to experience on the court. It would be loud. You can sense there\u2019s a buzz going on.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JULY 1: England fans watch the England V DR Congo.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cPeople are kind of simultaneously looking at your match and also following their national team. It\u2019s normal. It\u2019s the football fever right now in this four to six weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also part of it. I like football. I follow everything that is going on. Obviously nicer when you\u2019re by the TV than when you\u2019re playing, not everyone is focused on your match. But that\u2019s OK. That\u2019s what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
But outgoing Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said the club would prefer if attendees did their best not to get distracted by a rival round ball game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to be showing the football on any of the big screens around the grounds, but clearly if people have got their phones,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to prevent people from watching the football. (But) we do discourage people in the Royal Box from using their phones anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry rises in the nick of time<\/b><\/p>\n
Back up at The Rose and Crown, fans kept piling in, many wearing differing versions of the English shirt according to a keen-eyed observer.<\/p>\n
Among them was the design from the 1996 Euros in which England finished atop their pool before falling on penalties in the semi-finals to Germany, and a one-off blue guernsey similar in colour to that worn by the DRC that was a mixture of diamond and checks and \u201cwouldn\u2019t look out of place as a carpet\u201d.<\/p>\n
When it was announced soon after Cipenga had put the DPC in front that he had not scored in the Spanish second division in the last two years, the response from punters at the pub \u2026 well, some things can\u2019t be published.<\/p>\n
As broadcaster Guy Mowbray announced signs of infighting with Jude Bellingham looking pissed off – and that was before the striker was yellow carded 19 minutes in – it served to pour fuel on to the smouldering tension after a lacklustre opening. <\/p>\n
\u201cOf course they are f***ing fighting between themselves,\u201d a bloke who appeared three pints in declared.<\/p>\n
Never had a hydration break come at a better time, and not just because it allowed ex-player turned pundit Alan Shearer to get some things off his chest, including his certainty that England were \u201ctoo slow\u201d and making \u201ctoo many errors\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not good enough. Really, really not good enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>England players huddles after the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between England and Congo in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Colin Hubbard)<\/span>Source: AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhatever was in the water worked for England, which returned from the drinks break looking far livelier as they peppered the goal face repeatedly, only to be denied by Nzau each time.<\/p>\n
England were remarkably lucky not to fall two goals behind late in the first half, but also appeared desperately unlucky not to receive a penalty shot when Kane was felled by Nzau.<\/p>\n
As patrons swore with venom, Shearer was adamant that it \u201cshould have been a penalty\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t and shouldn\u2019t have to make the decision to jump over the goalkeeper when you are in that position,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
As patrons rushed the bar at halftime to clinch a stiffer drink than most had anticipated, Mowbray mournfully said in commentary; \u201cIt is not going England\u2019s way. This is an exhausting watch.\u201d<\/p>\n
After another incredible save from Nzau in the 52nd minute, a colleague of this writer lamented the bad luck of the English.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve come up against an unbelievable goal keeper and a referee who could not see an obvious red card,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re used to disappointment, but just not normally this early on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The decision to substitute Gordon on was met with some derision. But then came the cross to Kane who nailed the leveller. And when the English skipper\u2019s fancy footwork enabled him to score with a bullet clocked at 160km\/h, mayhem broke loose in The Bell and Crown.<\/p>\n
And that jubilation was not reserved for the pubs across England either, for even back at Wimbledon it was reported that fans were chanting \u201cC\u2019mon HaaaRRRY\u201d as well.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the only truly unbelievable thing? <\/p>\n
Not once did those in attendance at the pub break into \u201cIt\u2019s coming home.\u201d It had been too tight. But the English dream lives on to the weekend.<\/p>\n
Thanks, Harry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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