Let us speak plainly: England were staring into the abyss in Atlanta. For forty five minutes, perhaps longer, Gareth Southgate's side looked a complet...
Let us speak plainly: England were staring into the abyss in Atlanta. For forty five minutes, perhaps longer, Gareth Southgate's side looked a complete ragbag. No rhythm, no composure, and a defence that parted like the Red Sea for Brian Cipenga's seventh minute thunderbolt. The Democratic Republic of Congo, a side that came into this World Cup as the lowest ranked qualifiers, were five minutes from the greatest upset this tournament has ever seen. And make no mistake, it would have been deserved.Cipenga's goal was a thing of brutal simplicity. England's high line pressed with all the coherence of a Sunday league pub team, and the winger exploited the space with a finish that screamed clinical finishing. The Leopards had parked the bus, sure, but they did it with organisation and spirit. They sat in a compact low block, forced England wide, and then hit them on the break with purpose. For large swathes of the game, Southgate's men simply had no answer. They looked devoid of ideas, sluggish in transitional play, and worryingly fragile at the back.Then came Harry Kane. And thank goodness for him, because without his intervention this would have been the defining humiliation of a generation. His first was a poacher's goal, the kind of scrappy, instinctive finish that separates elite strikers from the rest. A corner, a scramble, and Kane was there to stab the ball home. Squeaky bum time for everyone. The equaliser lifted the weight, but it did not solve the deeper malaise. England had offered precious little in open play, and the crowd were growing restless.The winner arrived with just five minutes left on the clock. A long ball forward, a moment of panic in the Congo box, and there was Kane again. This time it was a header, planted with authority into the corner. It was not beautiful. It was not the football of a champion. But it was effective. It was the kind of tactical flexibility that says results matter above all else in tournament football. Southgate will be relieved, but he will also be furious. His side bottled it for long periods, and only a world class finisher in their ranks dragged them back from the brink.So what now for England A win is a win, but this was a warning flare. Against better organised sides in the knockouts, they cannot afford to sleepwalk through the first half. The attacking fluidity we saw in qualifying has evaporated, and the defence looks brittle. Kane has rescued them once. He may not be able to do it again. The Leopards, for their part, depart with heads held high. They came within a whisker of immortality. Brian Cipenga's name will be remembered, even in defeat. But for England, the questions linger. Can they fix these cracks before the next round Or will this act of escapology merely delay the inevitable
