ITV commentator Sam Matterface under fire for ‘cheap’ Kane comment

ITV commentator Sam Matterface angered some England fans on Saturday night by comparing Harry Kane to former Three Lions player Chris Waddle after his crucial missed penalty in the agonising 2-1 World Cup defeat to France. Gareth Southgate’s side exited the competition at the quarter-final stage after goals by Aurélien Tchouaméni and Olivier Giroud were enough to send Les Bleus through.

Kane equalised from the spot in the second-half, and then had the chance to do so again in the 84th minute when Mason Mount was barged over in the box. But the Tottenham striker sent his penalty high into the stands, which ultimately cost England any opportunity for a comeback.

Shortly after the incident, Matterface quipped live to the nation: “We needed Gary Lineker but we got Chris Waddle.” Lineker famously scored two penalties as England defeated Cameroon 3-2 in a lively World Cup quarter-final in 1990. However, in the semis against Germany Waddle missed the all-important final spot-kick in the shootout with a similar effort to that of Kane’s.

Judging by social media reaction, however, Matterface’s observation did not go down well at all, with the vast majority leaping to the defence of Kane. And a number questioned whether he was a suitable man for the job, with some calling for the likes of the veteran Clive Tyldesley to be reinstated for the biggest games. 

@FPL_ElStatto wrote on Twitter: “They needed Gary Lineker, they got Chris Waddle. Such a poor comment by the awful Sam Matterface. We needed Clive Tyldesley and got Sam Matterface.”

@Mikefatkin, meanwhile, added: “Didn’t like Sam Matterface’s snide ‘They needed Gary Lineker, they got Chris Waddle’ about a player whose first pen kept England in the game, equalling Rooney’s record. Insults a fine player in Waddle too. Cheap shot. Where are Clive Tyldesley & Ally McCoist when you need them?”

@ThenewTomMitch blasted: “‘We needed Lineker but we got Chris Waddle’ – can you imagine Brian Moore, Barry Davies, John Motson or even Clive Tyldsley coming out with such a cheap line? Actually pathetic, Sam Matterface.”

And @stusfootyflash summed up the feeling nicely by tweeting: “That’s a bad defeat to take. And I honestly believe Sam Matterface saying ‘We needed Gary Lineker, but we got Chris Waddle’ is one of the worst commentary lines of all time.”

Speaking about his teammate after the game, midfielder Jordan Henderson raced to defend Kane, saying: “We know how many penalties he has scored for us. He scored the first one and how many goals he’s contributed for us to get here. He’ll be stronger in the long run, I’m sure. He’s a world class striker, our captain, and we wouldn’t be here without him.”

And Southgate also backed his captain, adding: “For me, we win and lose as a team. We have let a couple of goals in and missed a few chances. He has been incredible for us and is so reliable for us in those situations. We wouldn’t be here but for the number of goals he has scored for us.”

England are expected to fly back to the UK on Sunday morning, and will have the agony of watching the semi finals play out without them, with Argentina facing Croatia on Tuesday and France facing Morocco on Wednesday.