Wake up call: Harry Kane misses sitter as England suffers shock friendly loss to Iceland ahead of Euro 2024
England’s final game before Euro 2024 ended in a defeat to Iceland. Gareth Southgate’s men fell to a 1-0 home loss in the England vs Iceland match at Wembley on Friday (June 7). The Three Lions dominated possession but lacked the killer instinct, with Harry Kane missing a glaring opportunity. They head to Germany for the Euros with two defeats, one win, and one draw from their last four outings.
Jon Thorsteinsson grabbed the game’s only goal in the 12th minute as Iceland took the lead against the run of play. Hakan Haraldsson played through the OH Leuven striker on goal, and he beat Aaron Ramsdale near his post. The Arsenal goalkeeper looked to the heavens, knowing he should have done better to prevent the opener.
England looked to react, and Harry Kane should have leveled matters in the 28th minute when the Three Lions captain squandered a chance from six yards out. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer played an asking ball to the Bayern Munich superstar, but he connected with his shin and put his effort just over the bar.
There were moans and groans at Wembley at halftime as the hosts lacked quality in the final third. That was despite Palmer, Kane, Anthony Gordon, and Phil Foden all starting, certainly full of creativity. There was also an injury scare as John Stones was forced off at halftime with a knock.
Also Read: England vs Iceland Player Ratings: Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Kyle Walker Struggle for Goals
Gareth Southgate made various changes for the second half, but this had little impact, although Trent Alexander-Arnold impressed on the ball. He tried linking up with Ivan Toney on several occasions, but England just weren’t at the races. It was a disappointing night, and the result means Euro 2024‘s favorites have kept just two clean sheets in their last seven games.
The Three Lions now prepare for their trip to Germany for the Euros, and they kickstart their campaign in Group C. Southgate’s men face Serbia (June 16), Denmark (June 20), and Slovenia (June 25). Their fans will be hoping for a vast improvement from tonight’s performance, where they may have enjoyed 68% of possession but did little with it.
“The only thing Harry Kane is missing” – Jose Mourinho urges England’s captain to cement his legacy by winning Euro 2024
Harry Kane, 30, heads to the Euros after a remarkable debut season at Bayern Munich. He may have struggled to impress tonight but he was arguably the greatest forward in Europe last season at club level. He posted 44 goals and 12 assists in 45 games across competitions, breaking several records along the way. That said, he finished the campaign without silverware, as he has throughout his career.
Jose Mourinho coached Kane while he was at Tottenham and he gave a glowing verdict of the prolific frontman. He suggested the Three Lions’ all-time top scorer needs a trophy to stamp his claim as an all-time great:
“The only thing Harry Kane is missing is to win a trophy. He was my player at Tottenham and I was going to win one with him, but I was sacked six days before the final.”