"He was a shark smelling blood." Even master coach Thomas Tuchel praised Harry Kane's "scoring instinct"... thanks to this, he broke the '60-year-old jinx'

*This content was translated by AI.

Thomas Tuchel, head coach of the England national football team, publicly praised striker Harry Kane.

On the 1st (local time), England secured a 2-1 comeback victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match held at Atlanta Stadium in Georgia, USA. This marks the first time since the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany on home soil that England has come from behind to win a match at the World Cup finals stage — a span of 60 years.

Today's match was a display of Tuchel's crisis management skills. England fell behind early, conceding the opening goal in the 7th minute to Brian Chinganga, but completely turned the tide with bold substitutions in the second half. Coach Tuchel injected vitality into the attack by bringing on Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze, while also deploying Declan Rice as a right full-back — a decisive tactical move.

This tactical choice proved perfectly effective. The substituted-in Gordon assisted both of Harry Kane's multi-goals, which came in the 30th minute of the second half and four minutes before the final whistle, laying the foundation for the dramatic comeback victory.

After the match, Coach Tuchel credited the players for the win. Specifically praising Kane, who scored both the equalizer and the winning goal, he said, "Elite strikers are like sharks that smell blood and rush in to score." He added, "As captain and leader, Kane sealed the victory with a decisive finish."

Tuchel continued, "The match remained difficult throughout, but I am very proud that the players refused to accept defeat and did everything they had to do until the end," highly evaluating the team's spirit of never giving up.

Having secured their place in the Round of 16, England will face host nation Mexico at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on the 7th. Regarding the challenging high-altitude condition located at approximately 2,200 meters above sea level, Coach Tuchel noted, "Short-term adaptation is not easy and presents an unfavorable condition," yet he also expressed confidence, stating, "This comeback victory has instilled in the players the belief that they can overcome any difficulty."

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*This content was translated by AI.