England’s difficult second game afflicted them for a fourth successive tournament as Ghana frustrated them to a 0-0 draw in Boston.
Just as in their second group fixture against Scotland in 2021, the USA in 2022 and Denmark in 2024, England struggled to impose themselves on the game, albeit against an opponent by far the most defensive of the four – and one more than happy to frustrate and earn a point which all-but secures their own progression to the last 32.
England, with four points secured from two games, remain firmly on course to reach the knockout stages but still have work to do to claim top spot in Group L.
England completed 190 passes more than their opponents in the opening 35 minutes, but it took until then to fashion their one and only clear chance of the first half when Declan Rice nodded over after Noni Madueke had isolated his full-back in a rare sign of intent.
The nation hoped for a repeat of Tuchel’s inspirational half-time team-talk which galvanised his side six days earlier against Croatia, but it was more of the same after the break this time and it took another 11 minutes for Anthony Gordon to finally register England’s first shot on target with a tame effort straight at Benjamin Asare.
Ghana’s valuable point threatened to become three when substitute Prince Adu was played in behind and seemingly caught by a wayward Ezri Konsa slide, which was inexplicably waved away both by the on-field officials and VAR.
Harry Kane should have won it with three minutes to go when Nico O’Reilly’s header crashed back off the crossbar but the England captain – surely the one player in world football anyone would have wanted the ball to fall to – skied the rebound over with the goal gaping.
That left the Three Lions with questions to answer about their lack of intensity, and a reality check after the jubilation of their second-half performance against Croatia – but with their progression still in their own hands ahead of Saturday’s final group game with Panama.
More to follow…
