Harry Kane and the missed penalty during England-France, the reaction of the English – Corriere.it

Alan Shearer, the former striker guru of English football, does not say it with malice, but as a truism with which it is better to deal with: “The missed penalty will haunt him every day for the rest of his life”. Just to ease the pressure. Roberto Baggio, on the other hand, says that even today we still dream about that cursed shot in Pasadena that ended up among the stars.

Harry Kane who has long bites the shirt, while not far away Mbappè celebrates as if he had scored a goal, he has already figured it out by himself. “It’s something I have to deal with and I can’t help it. It’s a difficult thing, for me personally and for the whole team,” the English captain told the BBC still hot, the best until that penalty kick, the one who took England by the hand after the first goal by Tchoupameni, who did his usual overtime up front. Because if England went out it’s his fault, but if they stayed in the game up to there it’s still thanks to him. “I couldn’t be more proud of the boys. We played better, had the best chances, but football comes down to small details: as captain and the one who missed the penalty, I take responsibility. I felt secure, I just didn’t do it the way I wanted.”

The problem is both psychological and technical, because in front of Kane yes he finds his partner at Tottenham, Lloris, the goalkeeper who had already blocked him twice in the match and who is able to read him very well. And because it’s the second time he shows up on the spot: the first time he shot as he usually does, in his favorite corner, and it went great, but the second time? What to do the second time? Repeat the gesture that comes best or try to change? It’s when an attacker thinks too much, when he changes his mind at the last second as he takes a run-up, when he lingers (Kane did it last night) a little longer in sorting out the ball to resolve his doubts, that he begins to make mistakes. «Harry pain», as some English newspapers write – even if there are no crucifixions, nor convictions, only a lot of regret and rightly so -, explains his unease: «Usually one prepares to face only one in the space of a match , but when two happen, you always need to have an idea of ​​where to kick the second and preparation counts for little».

Perhaps, what he says is right the teamthat “England has lost by tradition.’ Because even if the growth of the team that finished fourth at the World Cup in Russia and second at the European Championships against Italy, it is undeniable, the habit of winning, the one that the French have (in the semifinals for the fourth time in seven editions and reigning champions ) makes the difference. And England traditionally has an outstanding account with penalties: the mistakes in front of Donnarumma when they already thought that football had returned home at the European Championships and the decisive error of coach Gareth Southgate as a player in the ’96 European Championship. The never loved coach, however, today receives certificates of esteem. Today the times he writes to him: «Why should he leave just now?».

(article being updated)