Harry Kane scores on a penalty kick in England’s World Cup opener against Croatia—but his run-up drives Kevin-Prince Boateng up the wall. After the incident, the former pro calls for a clear line to be drawn.
Normally, the FC Bayern striker is a sure bet from the spot; Kane is one of the best penalty takers in the world. So it was all the more surprising during the 4-2 win over Croatia that his first attempt landed in the lower right corner—but not in the net. Luckily for the 32-year-old, Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was no longer fully on the line, so the penalty kick was retaken.
On his second attempt, Kane kept his cool and scored to make it 1-0. The goal laid the foundation for the Three Lions’ convincing opening victory—and at the same time sparked a heated debate about the way the Englishman approaches the penalty spot.
Boateng wants to have Kane’s run-up banned
Speaking to the U.S. network CBS after the game, Kevin-Prince Boateng had nothing good to say about Kane’s method. What bothers the former pro most of all is that the Bayern striker, by deliberately slowing down, provokes the goalkeeper into coming off the line too early. His clear demand: “That should be banned!”
From a rules perspective, however, Kane’s behavior is perfectly within the rules. According to the regulations, the only requirement is that a fluid sequence of movements be recognizable. An abrupt stop is prohibited, but deliberate slowing down is expressly permitted—which is exactly what Kane exploited against Croatia.
The Englishman himself made it clear afterward that there was a plan behind it: “When I watched the footage, I noticed that he likes to come off his line early. So I knew there was a chance he’d step off the line if I took a delayed run-up,” Kane explained.
After missing his first attempt, he made a slight adjustment to his technique. “That’s exactly why I do such thorough research, and in the end, it worked out well for me,” said the 32-year-old. On his second attempt, he aimed for the same corner again, while Livakovic dived the other way this time—and the 1-0 goal was in.
In the group stage, England still has two more matches ahead: against Ghana (June 23, 10 p.m.) and Panama (June 27, 11 p.m.). Should Kane step up to the spot again in those matches, Boateng will likely be watching very closely to see how the Bayern striker approaches the ball.