Jurgen Klinsmann says FIFA analysis shows that Harry Kane being forced to wait to take his penalty could have ultimately seen England knocked out of the World Cup.
It took four minutes and 52 seconds before Kane took his second penalty against France in Saturday night’s quarter-final tie after Mason Mount was fouled by Theo Hernandez.
It was more than double the time it took to take the first spot-kick after VAR had to check both incidents at Al Bayt Stadium.
Kane’s second effort flew over Hugo Lloris’s crossbar and France will now face Morocco in the semi-finals on Wednesday night.
Speaking at a FIFA Technical Study Group meeting in Qatar on Monday, former Tottenham striker Klinsmann expressed sympathy with Kane over his miss.
"There is far too much time passing with VAR checks et cetera,” he said. “It works on your brain. I'm a big Harry Kane fan. If he had the chance to put the ball down and take it immediately (he'd score). But time goes by and you overthink."
The tactical analysis taken from former managers and players spoke of how they had been impressed by England’s development since the last World Cup in 2018.
That is despite being knocked out at an earlier stage and seeing manager Gareth Southgate consider his future even after public support from the Football Association (FA) and his players.
Klinsmann says England have impressed at the tournament in Qatar and believes their young players will improve by the next World Cup in 2026.
“I think overall it was a very positive presentation of an England side at this tournament,” Klinsmann added. “This France-England game came too early. I think this match should have been a semi-final or final.
“I think overall they played a very good tournament. It is still a tournament in growth and able to get better in the next years. They are not at their limit.
“They have a lot of talent coming through and getting better. They’ve had three positive tournaments in a row. I think there’s more to come from this English side.”
