"Something I will have to live with" - England star Harry Kane sends message after missing crucial penalty against France
England captain Harry Kane believes his execution let him down following his missed penalty against France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.
The Three Lions took on the reigning champions in the final last-eight clash on December 10. With his team down by a goal, Kane received a glorious chance to bring his side level in the 84th minute when Theo Hernandez fouled Mason Mount in the box.
It was his second chance from the spot in the game. He had scored with the first attempt 30 minutes earlier. However, the Tottenham Hotspur forward blasted his spot-kick well over the crossbar. That proved to be a decisive moment as England fell to a 2-1 defeat and exited the World Cup.
Speaking after the game, Harry Kane revealed that there were no changes in his preparation for either penalty. However, he added that his execution let him down on the second occasion. Kane said (as quoted by ESPN):
"I can't fault my preparation or the detail before the game; it didn't feel any different. I felt confident taking it but didn't execute it the way I wanted to."
He added:
"Of course, it's something I will have to live with and take on the chin. But all we can do is be proud of each other and know that the team is in a really good place for the future."
Keep your head held high, skipper.
We're proud of you ❤️ https://t.co/oEVyhcvWZ5
It was a night of mixed emotions for Harry Kane. He went level with Wayne Rooney as England's all-time top-scorer in men's football with 53 goals by netting from the spot in the 54th minute. While Rooney took 118 matches to reach that tally, Kane did so in just 80 matches.
However, the Spurs forward couldn't break the goalscoring record and simultaneously keep his team in the game from a similar situation 30 minutes later.
England and Harry Kane will be back in action very soon
There will hardly be any focus on the future for England following their exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It will be disappointing, not because of their performance, but because they failed to capitalize on their dominance against France.
Many believed this year's tournament presented a good chance for the Three Lions to win their first World Cup since 1966. However, Les Bleus, led by goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud, ensured their own hopes of a title repeat remain alive.
Heartbroken. We so desperately wanted this time to be our time, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Thank you for being there with us every step of the way. Your support back home and in Qatar has been incredible. ❤️ https://t.co/bpZILVDtAE
Gareth Southgate's future in charge of the English team remains shrouded in doubt, but Harry Kane and Co. already have more matches on the horizon. They will be back in action three months from now to kickstart their qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2024. England will face Italy and Ukraine in March 2023.