Harry Kane reached a monumental milestone, marking his 100th appearance for England with a brace in a commanding 2-0 win over Finland in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday. Presented with a golden cap before kickoff, the England captain wore gold boots as he took to the Wembley Stadium pitch. His first goal, a trademark Kane finish, sent the crowd into a frenzy. After beating a Finnish defender, he unleashed a powerful shot that clipped the underside of the crossbar, sending his teammates swarming to celebrate with him. His second goal arrived with an assist from Noni Madueke, one of England’s newest faces, as Kane’s shot took a slight deflection on its way into the net. The crowd, enthralled by the performance, gave Kane a standing ovation when he was substituted shortly after.
“It was a big night for me, obviously really proud to reach 100 caps. I want to score goals, I want to help the team,” Kane expressed to broadcaster ITV. The victory marked the second consecutive 2-0 win for interim England manager Lee Carsley, who took over after Gareth Southgate stepped down following England’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Carsley could potentially remain in the position longer if the search for Southgate’s permanent successor extends beyond the upcoming international break in October.
In the same group, England currently sits at the top alongside Greece, both with six points, after Greece secured a 2-0 victory over Ireland. However, a potential blow for Manchester City emerged as defender Nathan Ake went off with a suspected muscle injury while playing for the Netherlands in a 2-2 draw with Germany. This injury could pose a challenge for City ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash with Brentford on Saturday and their Champions League tie against Inter Milan, followed by a crucial Premier League match against Arsenal next week.
The Netherlands initially took the lead in Amsterdam after just one-and-a-half minutes when Tijjani Reijnders found himself unmarked by the German defense and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper. But Germany rallied back with goals from Deniz Undav and Joshua Kimmich to secure a 2-1 lead at halftime. However, Denzel Dumfries’ equalizer in the 50th minute ensured a thrilling draw. The Netherlands and Germany have a history of fierce competition, having faced each other seven times since 2018, most recently in March. For the Netherlands, this match marked the first game since coach Ronald Koeman ruled out forward Steven Bergwijn, following his move to the Saudi Arabian league, citing a lack of ambition.
Germany, meanwhile, was without Niclas Fullkrug due to an Achilles tendon injury, with Stuttgart’s Undav replacing him in the lineup. In the same group, Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina played out a goalless draw. Elsewhere, the Czech Republic secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Ukraine with Pavel Sulc scoring twice. Georgia also emerged victorious, defeating Albania 1-0.
