Thierry Henry was left astonished by Harry Kane's second goal for England in their 2-1 comeback victory over DR Congo, stating he would risk injury attempting such a strike. The Bayern Munich forward scored twice in Atlanta, first heading an equalizer in the 75th minute before producing a stunning winner late in the match.
Kane's Spectacular Winner
Kane received the ball from Anthony Gordon on the edge of the box, spun past two defenders, and hammered a shot into the roof of the net while falling. The goal came in the 86th minute of a physically demanding game. Henry, an Arsenal legend, analyzed the technique on Fox Sports: 'He's almost in the air, kind of in a weird shape when he hits it. Do you know how hard that is? At the end of the game, to generate that amount of power. At the end of the game!'
Henry highlighted the physical toll on players like Declan Rice, saying, 'Declan Rice was dead! If Declan Rice is dead at the end of the game we already know the level of the game in terms of physicality is difficult.' He added, 'He's falling! Do you know how hard it is to generate power then? If I'd do that now, I'd break my back! That's tough. That's a tough skill. Wow! Sir Harry!'
Ibrahimovic's Praise and Criticism
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, also on punditry duty, compared Kane to global stars like Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. 'Harry Kane, he did three things. Two goals and one run he did. That says everything, how much he means to this team,' Ibrahimovic said. 'We talk about Messi for Argentina, France with Mbappe, but they have other superstars also. We talk Haaland for Norway. When it comes to England it's all about Harry Kane. Sir Harry Kane is England and the way he performed today, he needs to continue like that if this England is going to have a chance.'
However, Ibrahimovic noted England's physical struggles, particularly pointing out Declan Rice. 'Today I saw England suffering physically. I didn't see them run like before. Especially Declan Rice, his quality is to run but it was like he was struggling. But not only him, also the other ones.' He also took a dig at the high expectations on Thomas Tuchel's side: 'It's not how you win, it's important to win. Especially this England. They have a lot of pressure to win. Why? We don't know, but ok. They won.'
Match Context
DR Congo took a surprise lead in the seventh minute through Brian Cipenga. England struggled to break down the underdogs until Kane's equalizer set the stage for his dramatic winner. The victory keeps England's World Cup campaign on track, with Kane once again proving decisive.
