After the defeat of the Three Lions against the Blues on Saturday evening, the British press evoked the pain of the English players and supporters, and largely stopped on the penalty missed by Harry Kane.
Football is not coming home… To believe that the inventors of the game would do well to abandon this expression, certainly ironic, but which seems to bring them irremediable bad luck. The English lost on Saturday against France in a match at loggerheads, and the British press headlines this Sunday morning the pain of a team and a nation. Many have revolved around the penalty sent to the skies by captain Harry Kane in the 84th minute of the match, when he had converted his first attempt (53rd). the Guardian, in his account of the match, tells a story that the selection of the Three Lions know so well, a ‘scourge’ ‘came back to haunt England as their World Cup dreams ended in familiar scenes of tears and shattered dreams’. The daily reference continues: “At the final whistle, as the players collapsed onto the pitch and hands covered faces, the eternal memory remains of Gareth Southgate comforting his captain Harry Kane. It was Kane who had the chance to equalize that thrilling quarter-final against France when, with England trailing 2-1, he came 12 yards out.
The Sun, him title «Harry’s pain» (“Harry’s pain” in vf). In its always flowery style, the English tabloid mentions the tears of wags, the wives of the players, who “cuddling English stars whose hearts are broken”. The Sun also gives the floor to the English supporters, nicknamed after this night “wretched”, as John Andrews, of Bristol: “I can’t believe the decisions made by the referee. I am disgusted.” Less controversial, the Sunday Express titre “Goodbye, Qatar”, with a photo of one showing Harry Maguire, author of a post on a head, crouching and coach Gareth Southgate holding in his arms Manchester United player Marcus Rashford.
In reference to Kylian Mbappé, very well muzzled by the English system throughout the match, the Mirror highlights Bukayo Saka, a young (21) striker from the selection who turned French heads throughout the match: “We knew he was good – but not that good. We knew from watching him smash for Arsenal that he could play under pressure – but not that much. Yes, we lost, but that was the night Bukayo Saka went from top class to world class.”
Finally, the Daily Star simply said “Shit !”, paying homage to the famous word of Cambronne. Then asks a very relevant question – defeat never robs the English of their humour: “Now are we going to have to do the Christmas shopping?”. From one euphoria to another and a new star rather at the top of the tree than on the Three Lions jersey.