Being rated higher, England unexpectedly let the DRC take the lead right from the 7th minute after Brian Cipenga's goal. Despite controlling the game and creating many chances in the first half, coach Thomas Tuchel's team still could not beat goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
Stepping into the second half, Mr. Tuchel brought Anthony Gordon on to replace Marcus Rashford in the 61st minute to increase attacking power. This decision quickly became effective.
In the 75th minute, Gordon made an accurate cross from the left wing for Harry Kane to jump high and head the ball to equalize 1-1 for England. In the 86th minute, the midfielder born in 2001 continued to leave his mark when he assisted Kane to finish in a narrow angle, completing a double and sealing a 2-1 victory.
According to statistics from Opta, Gordon became the first player to have 2 assists after coming on as a substitute in a match of the World Cup knockout round. The player who just joined Barcelona also quickly had 2 assists in the biggest playground on the planet.
After the match, coach Thomas Tuchel highly appreciated the bravery of his players when they came back in a difficult situation.
We always want to score an early goal to make the match more favorable, but football is not always like that. The important thing is that the whole team has faced reality, persistently looked for solutions and did not give up," the German strategist shared.
He also praised the fighting spirit of the whole team for the excellent performance of goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi on the DRC side.
Their goalkeeper has many very excellent saves. However, the players still maintained their belief, continued to put pressure and finally found a way to win deservedly," Tuchel said.
Commenting on Harry Kane, the German coach affirmed that the captain striker always knows how to make a difference at important times.
That's what we expect from Harry Kane. In tense matches, he always knows how to speak up and make a difference," Tuchel emphasized.
With this victory, England qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face co-host Mexico.
