Kane Harry-ied, denied England place in WC final

Football history rarely captures the detail.
We know that Spain won the 2010 World Cup but forget that Arjen Robben missed two one-on-ones Iker Casillas that could have earned Netherlands a first ever World Cup.
We know that Germany won the 2014 World Cup final but probably forget that but for a shocking Gonzalo Higuain miss, Lionel Messi would have won the World Cup.
England are flying home on Sunday after falling to Croatia in the second semi-final on Wednesday in a dramatic match they lost in extra-time to a Mario Mandzukic close range range finish.
Yet when they were leading 1-0 early in the first half and in ascendancy, Harry Kane was presented with the sort of chance he routinely puts away.
Picked out by Jesse Lingard, Kane was gifted the opportunity to put his country 2-0 up with only goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.
The Croatian shot-stopper parried away the effort into a prohibitive angle and Kane’s rebound couldn’t quite find its way into the net and from then on, Zlatko Dalic’s team grew in confidence.
From nearly being 2-0 down – Croatia also survived when Lingard wasted a fine chance shortly after, they remained in the game as with Luka Modric stamping his authority in the second half they found themselves level when Ivan Perisic rose over Kyle Walker to stab the ball home with the studs of his boot.
The rest is history.
But that history would have been different if Kane did what he does best.
He didn’t.

*The writer is Monitor Publications Sports Editor