Nov 13, 7:00 AM
England Advance to Nations League Quarterfinals as Kane Sets Caps Record
A 2-1 win over Croatia secures England's spot in the last eight ahead of Sunday's match against Spain.
England secured a spot in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals on Thursday evening following a 2-1 victory over Croatia at Wembley Stadium. The match was marked by captain Harry Kane earning his 126th appearance for the national team, breaking the previous record held by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
The win leaves England second in Group A3 behind group leaders Spain, who defeated Czechia 2-0 on Thursday. Manager Thomas Tuchel’s side will travel to Madrid on Sunday for their final group match against Spain. Following Thursday's match, Kane stated to broadcasters that the fixture in Madrid presents an opportunity for the team to test themselves after losing to the world champions in their opening group game.
England took the lead in the 24th minute when Chelsea forward Morgan Rogers scored. Kane lifted a pass to Jude Bellingham on the right side of the penalty box, whose cushioned pass across the area reached Rogers after Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol failed to clear the ball. Rogers poked the shot past Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic to open the scoring.
Croatia equalized shortly before the hour mark when Petar Sucic capitalized on a defensive error by Jarell Quansah. Quansah misdirected a header towards goalkeeper Jordan Pickford following a Croatian corner kick, allowing Sucic to score from close range.
England restored their lead minutes later after Quansah had his shirt pulled in the penalty area during an attack. Referee Morten Krogh awarded the penalty after being instructed to consult the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee. Kane converted the spot kick, recording his 92nd international goal.
A potential third goal for England was later disallowed when an offside ruling negated a strike by James Garner following a pass from Bellingham. Prior to kickoff, a ceremony featuring Shilton and Football Association patron Prince William took place at Wembley to honor Kane’s milestone appearance.
Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com
