世界杯淘汰赛：先丢一球，凯恩梅开二度，英格兰二比一逆转刚果

Today let's talk about a nerve-shredding World Cup knockout game: down on the scoreboard, England relied on captain Kane's brace to come from behind and beat DR Congo two to one, squeaking through.

The way this game unfolded was far more nerve-wracking than the scoreline suggests.

First, a word on England.

England are packed with stars, one of the acknowledged title favorites of this World Cup.

Their captain Kane is one of the very top scorers in world soccer today.

Before kickoff, almost everyone assumed this would be an easy game.

But the charm of soccer lies precisely in its knack for surprising you.

In the seventh minute, the surprise arrived.

DR Congo pounced on a lapse in England's back line, and Cipenga calmly slotted home in front of goal — one to zero, a shock early lead.

What made it more embarrassing for England was how utterly flat they were in the first half.

The data shows that not until the thirtieth minute did Bellingham produce England's first shot of the entire game.

That was the longest England had ever waited for a first attempt in their World Cup history.

The England fans in the stands couldn't help but jeer.

And you should know this: before this game, England had never once won at a World Cup after trailing at half-time.

You could say they were backed into a corner.

Luckily, in the second half England finally rediscovered their form.

They piled on the pressure, penning DR Congo into their own half, the shots coming thicker and faster.

DR Congo keeper Mpasi was heroic, saving one goal-bound shot after another, almost single-handedly holding England off.

As the seconds ticked away, England's fans grew more and more anxious.

But England's relentless pressure finally paid off.

In the seventy-fifth minute, substitute Gordon delivered a pinpoint cross from the flank, and Kane rose high to head the equalizer.

One to one, England saw hope again.

After leveling, Kane wasn't satisfied.

In the eighty-sixth minute, Gordon assisted again, and Kane produced a brilliant finish inside the box to put England ahead.

Two to one, England had completed a nervy comeback.

Worth noting: Kane's two goals took his World Cup tally to thirteen, passing the legendary Pelé.

So, how should this game be judged?

For England, this is a win that was as nervy as it was timely.

They started flat, were briefly shocked, and came close to being knocked out.

But a truly strong team is precisely the one that, at the hardest moment, leans on its core players to step up and solve the problem.

Kane, in the manner a captain should, dragged the team back from the edge of the cliff.

Credit too must go to substitute Gordon — two assists, and it was he who brought the whole team's attack to life.

For DR Congo, this defeat is honorable.

They dared to go for it, briefly caught the mighty England off guard, and even had a chance to equalize in stoppage time.

Keeper Mpasi's heroic display was especially impressive.

It's just a pity that, against a world-class finisher, they couldn't hold on to that hard-won lead.

Soccer is this cruel: you can make the strong look shaky, but it's very hard to make them concede defeat.

That's England two to one DR Congo, a game that belonged to captain Kane.

See you next match.