“It was not easy to find the right words (to comfort Harry Kane).”
Even one day before the semi-final match against Morocco, French goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) was having a hard time because of a text message he exchanged with English striker Harry Kane, a teammate who missed a penalty kick in the quarterfinals on the 11th (Korean time). During a press conference on the 13th, the day before the 2022 Qatar World Cup semifinal against Morocco at 4:00 am on the 15th, Lloris said, “We exchanged text messages after the game. But talking about the game wasn’t easy. I think Kane needed a break.”
The two players were noticed even before the quarterfinals were held. We knew each other very well because we were colleagues who had been together for 10 seasons at Tottenham and were captains of the national team.
As fate would have it, the two met on a single wooden bridge. Faced with two penalty kicks. The first kick was clearly successful by Kane, but Kane took the second kick and the ball went over the goal. Kane was frustrated, and Lloris roared. In the end, England lost 1-2 and packed up in the quarterfinals.
Of course, the two wrapped up warmly by hugging after the match. However, Lloris was worried about Kane and sent her a text, but she said that Kane wanted to rest and that she would no longer text her.
Lloris used an interview to comfort Kane. “It’s a difficult time for England and for Kane, but he can be proud of what he did for the national team in this World Cup. Many players in football history have missed important penalties. So are players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. However, Kane has no doubt that he will not lose his courage and will help Tottenham and the national team shine.” Kane will return to England and take a break first. British daily Daily Mail said, “Kane will return to Tottenham on the 19th. It was also reported that manager Antonio Conte will hold a meeting with Kane once he returns to check his mental state.”
For Tottenham, it is very important how quickly Kane recovers mentally. This is because Tottenham will meet Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Portsmouth (FA Cup), Arsenal, Manchester City and Fulham in turn, starting with Brentford and the 17th round of the English Premier League (EPL) on the 26th.
France, which is aiming for a second consecutive championship, must face Morocco, which has beaten Belgium, Spain and Portugal in succession. “There will be a hostile atmosphere in the stadium, but we are ready for anything,” Loris said. “Obviously, Morocco has already succeeded. but trust me They won’t stop here. They want to be more than heroes for their country. We are ready to respond to the demands of the World Cup semifinals. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is,” he said.
Coach Didier Disan said the players were prepared for the “loud cheering” of the Atlas Lions filling Alcor’s Albayte Stadium. “I don’t like to use hostile words against any situation,” he said. “They have great support on their backs, which is useful to them. It was very noisy, and our staff told the players about it. That way, no goals are scored. But it’s nice to have such loud cheering on your back. If you are preparing for a game, you have to prepare for that kind of atmosphere. Our players know exactly what is going to happen.”
Senior Reporter Lim Byung-seon