ENGLAND DARES TO DREAM
REPINO, Russia — Qualification for the last 16 secured with a game to spare, Harry Kane leading the Golden Boot race and a record World Cup win after thrashing Panama 6-1 — England could not have wished for a better start in Russia.
Even accounting for soft opposition in the World Cup debutants and Tunisia before that, England’s campaign contrasts starkly with four years ago when it was already eliminated after just two games in Brazil.
England is the third-youngest squad in Russia and it shows. The Three Lions look full of energy and lack the fear of failure that has blighted their 52-year wait to win a major tournament.
And in Kane the team has a striker England’s rivals will now genuinely fear.
The Tottenham forward backed up his double against Tunisia with the first World Cup hat-trick from an Englishman since Gary Lineker fired a treble against Poland in 1986 in Mexico.
Manager Gareth Southgate, long associated with his country’s past failures after his penalty shootout miss knocked England out of Euro 96, is earning rave reviews from British media for creating a more relaxed and open environment between players, journalists and fans.
He even managed to douse the flames of a mini storm on the eve of the Panama game after a British newspaper claimed to have revealed England’s starting XI by publishing a photograph of a team sheet from a training session.
Instead of going on the attack, Southgate merely recognized that the media should not be cheerleaders.
The former Middlesbrough boss and his backroom staff also deserve credit for a series of clever set-piece routines that have already reaped four goals.
‘Enjoying it’
Kane has demonstrated that England appears to have at least one reliable penalty taker should a shootout ensue in the weeks to come by smashing two spot-kicks into the top corner.
“We are just enjoying it,” said Kane. “We have been working on set pieces and working on the way we play and it is all coming together.
“Fantastic to be through and to do it this way is brilliant.”
Much tougher tests await, beginning with Belgium on Thursday.
Southgate even claimed he “didn’t particularly like the performance” due to a sloppy start and conceding a late goal that leaves England tied with the Belgians in goal difference at the top of Group G.
A draw in Kaliningrad would see the group winner decided on disciplinary records, with Belgium’s three yellow cards to England’s two meaning the Red Devils sit in second place.
Both sides might not even want to finish first, with the group winner potentially set for a tougher half of the draw that might also contain Brazil, Germany and France.
But after so many disappointments in recent years, England is simply happy to be in this position and to have fortune on its side.
Kane’s fifth goal of the tournament to complete his hat-trick against Panama was pure luck, with a Ruben Loftus-Cheek drive deflecting off his heel. The goal moved the 24-year-old one ahead of Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku in the Golden Boot race.
“The third one is probably one of the luckiest goals of my career,” admitted Kane. “So far it’s been going my way, so hopefully that continues.”
With luck like that, England really can dare to dream.