Harry Kane's dramatic late brace rescued England from a potential World Cup upset, as the Three Lions came from behind to defeat DR Congo 2-1 in Atlanta. The victory sets up a last-16 showdown with co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City.
DR Congo took an early lead through Brian Cipenga in the seventh minute, and held that advantage for over an hour. Kane, however, struck twice in the space of 11 minutes to seal the comeback win. The Bayern Munich striker has now scored five goals in the tournament and 72 for the season.
Manager Thomas Tuchel praised Kane's impact, stating the 32-year-old is "getting better" with age. "He is getting better," Tuchel said of Kane, also referring to him and other top players like Kylian Mbappe as "sharks" who "smell blood, they come and they score."
Tuchel also noted that his side did not appear to be affected by the "weight of the white shirt," a narrative sometimes associated with England's tournament performances. "I did not see any of that today," he commented. "And it would be so easy to see it but I didn't. It would be so easy to give in and accept that narrative. I didn't see any of that, and that is a very, very good sign."
Tuchel revealed his message to the squad during a late drinks break was to "keep pounding the rock." He urged his players to "keep on knocking, knocking, knocking. Keep believing, keep on doing what we do. Don't give in. That's what this team is about."
Kane expressed his satisfaction with his match-winning performance. "It feels amazing," he told the BBC. "We spoke about having hero moments, whether it's me, a save from (Jordan) Pickford or a block from a defender, whoever it is and for me it was today."
Looking ahead to the next match against Mexico City, Tuchel acknowledged the challenge of playing at high altitude. "It will be one of the most beautiful fixtures," he said. "But my understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. It just takes too much time. It is physically just not possible. We will have to deal with it and I think we showed that we are ready for that."
Tuchel also made a lighthearted appeal to parents regarding the late kick-off time for the match in Mexico City. "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football!" he urged. "They have so much school to go to, but football is ahead for England. Let them watch, there will be a big match on in four days, and we need the support of everyone, especially the children."