Atlanta —
England needed two late goals from captain Harry Kane to storm back and hold off a determined team from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, earning a 2-1 victory that narrowly avoided one of the biggest World Cup upsets in history.
The Congolese shocked the mostly English crowd in Atlanta when Brian Cipenga was left unmarked at the far post on a cross in the seventh minute. He calmly collected the ball and fired a shot past keeper Jordan Pickford, giving the African side a stunning 1-0 lead in the opening minutes of the match, and then ran off for a flipping celebration before being mobbed by all of his teammates – including the subs who ran in from the bench.
The goal sent the small contingent of Congolese fans inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the scene of their first-ever World Cup victory only days before against Uzbekistan, into delirious joy. The massive traveling throng of English fans, meanwhile, struggled to find their voice after their team was set back by the opening strike.
The English appeared rattled in the ensuing periods of play, controlling the ball for long stretches without much end product before the Congolese hit back on the counterattack. The hydration break was much needed for England, and the stoppage was greeted with an outpouring of boos – though for once it wasn’t clear if it was for the break itself or at the Three Lions.
