England showed it was the most complete team of this World Cup but still could not overcome the defending champions from France
Harry Kane stood alone as chaos swirled around him in the center of the pitch of Al-Bayt Stadium, an arena whose design was inspired by nomadic dwellings, places of refuge in the midst of an unforgiving desert.
The England captain seemed oblivious to the French players celebrating only feet away, his teammates bowed and or lying on the ground, physically and emotionally spent.
Instead, Kane stared transfixed at a stadium scoreboard as if he looked at it long enough the final score of Saturday’s epic World Cup quarterfinal – France 2, England 1 – would somehow change. Once, then twice, Kane ran his hands over his face and rubbed his eyes and then resumed his vigil.
It was only when England manager Gareth Southgate embraced the Three Lions forward that Kane seemed to accept that he could not escape the grip of the nightmare.
Minutes earlier, Kane stood behind the penalty spot with a chance to pull England even in a match the Three Lions had dominated for long stretches. Kane had already converted a penalty kick in the 54th minute, blasting a shot past France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the England forward’s teammate at Tottenham HotSpur, to tie the match 1-1.
Now in the 84th minute, Kane stood in front of Lloris and a chance to again tie up the most anticipated match of this World Cup, his country holding its collective breath, the whole world watching. But then in perhaps England’s only real moment of doubt, the one lapse in focus, Kane twitched mid-kick, sending the shot well over the goal.
