Kane: Crumbs of comfort

Harry Kane will likely come home from the World Cup with the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer and a burnished reputation as a feared forward. Had Kane added to his six goals in Russia with either of his back-to-back chances in the first half against Croatia on Wednesday, when England were dominating and led 1-0, he could yet be lifting the trophy on Sunday.

Or the header in stoppage time at the end of 90 minutes when the score was 1-1 and a goal would likely have brought England back to Moscow for the final against France.

Rising high at the back post to meet another precise free kick from Kieran Trippier, Kane misconnected and the ball bounced wide of the goal. “It’s been great to get to this stage but we wanted to keep going. We wanted to win it all,” Kane said. “It hurts. I don’t know what else to say. It just hurts.”

When Kane got his best chances in the 30th minute against Croatia, his first shot was saved by goalkeeper Danijel Subasic. The ball rebounded almost out of play, then sat up for Kane to take another shot from less than two yards at a tight angle. The ball hit the post, ricocheted off Subasic and somehow looped up to safety.

Kane would not get another such opportunity with the ball at his feet. And Croatia would never let England get so close again.

Mario Mandzukic shot past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 109th minute and Croatia closed out a 2-1 victory to reach their first World Cup final.

It meant another World Cup semi-final heartbreaker for

England.

In 1990, three years before Kane was born, England also fell short at the semi-final stage — on penalties against West Germany. History in Turin had its echo in Moscow on Wednesday, and England’s scorer 28 years ago, Gary Lineker, was at the Luzhniki Stadium to see it.