England fall to disappointing defeat in Paris
● Video referee is used for first time as Varane sees red for foul on Alli
Two more goals for the new England captain, thanks in no small part to new technology, and Gareth Southgate might have been forgiven for thinking a French team that had just been reduced to 10 men might enable his players to finish a most turbulent 12 months on something of a high.
But this is some young French side. One that dominated a determined, if distinctly inferior England side, for 45 minutes and still carved out a winner for themselves when Kane's spot-kick equaliser coincided with the dismissal of Raphael Varane.
He went after the officials employed the assistance of a video referee for what was the first time in an England international, the replay clearly proving that the Real Madrid defender had indeed fouled Dele Alli inside the French penalty area.
Not only did that enable Kane to score his third goal in two appearances as England skipper but might have stopped a lesser side in their tracks. Especially when their average age was just 23.
But boy do they boast some quality, not just in the form of Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante in a superbly balanced midfield but in the pace, flair and sheer power of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
They certainly proved effective in exposing the flaws of a back three that had an out-of-sorts John Stones at its core, with Mbappe escaping the clutches of Stones to invite Dembele to score France's decisive 79th minute goal.
The Stade De France did provide a perfect setting for such a moving display of unity in the battle against terror, with the French military band's rendition of Don't Look Back In Anger a particularly poignant moment. They even had a chap who rather resembled Jona Lewie, playing electric guitar in full military uniform.
Every element of the ceremony to pay respects to the victims of the attacks in Manchester and London was impeccably observed on and off the field, with the two teams posing for a group photograph before finally separating to get this friendly international underway.
A year out from the World Cup and both managers were clearly keen to put the opportunity to good use. This was a young French side but one comprising players aware it was important to impress Didier Deschamps; none more so than N'Golo Kante even if there is so much excitement surrounding the prodigious talent of Kylian Mbappe.
For the English players, too, this amounted to another examination of their qualities under a manager rapidly trying to create a more effective, less fragile outfit.
John Stones was back at the heart of a three-man defence, while Raheem Sterling was given another chance to demonstrate why he should be part of an attack that, for now at least, will almost certainly include Kane and Dele Alli.
Players walk out to sound of Oasis song for FranceEngland
In an emotional show of support for the victims of the recent attacks in Manchester and London, France and England players walked out to the sound of "Don't Look Back in Anger" from Oasis moments before Tuesday's friendly at Stade de France.
The famed pop anthem was played by the musicians and the choir of the French Republican Guard, with the lead singer in uniform playing a guitar. As he started singing the famed pop anthem, pockets of England fans joined in, some with their arms raised.
The two big screens at the stadium projected the red and white Cross of St. George and giant flags from both countries were rolled out onto the field. There was huge applause rippling around the stadium after the iconic song — which enjoyed worldwide success in 1995.
Three attackers mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge and then stabbed people in nearby Borough Market on June 3. Eight people were killed and dozens more injured. On May 22, a man detonated a bomb as crowds were leaving an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22 people.
In honor of the victims, national anthems were reversed, with "God Save the Queen" following "La Marseillaise," with the words to each anthem displayed on the stadium's giant screen. Some of the French crowd joined in as the English sang. British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron, present at the stadium after a working dinner, also did.
Then, the players linked arms and posed for a photo, before moving to the center circle to stand for an impeccably observed minute of silence in honor of the victims.
France has also been hit by attacks, notably in Paris in November 2015 and in Nice last July.
WORLD
International Friendlies
Yesterday Australia-Brazil..................................0-4 Singapore-Argentina.........................0-6 Indonesia-Puerto Rico ......................0-0 South Africa-Zambia .........................1-2 Norway-Sweden ...............................1-1 Romania-Chile ..................................3-2 Cameroon-Colombia.........................0-4 France-England .................................3-2