England held to goalless draw by Ghana as World Cup Group L stays open
Thomas Tuchel's side fail to break down a disciplined Ghana in Boston, leaving qualification finely balanced before the final round of matches.
Henry Caldwell
Football Writer ·
England's World Cup campaign hit its first real pause in Boston, where Thomas Tuchel's side were held to a 0-0 draw by a well-drilled Ghana. After an opening win over Croatia, the result leaves Group L finely poised heading into the decisive round.
Ghana, organised by Carlos Queiroz, defended in a compact block, slowed England's tempo and forced the favourites to chase late chances through Bukayo Saka, Nico O'Reilly and Harry Kane. None of those moments found the breakthrough.
Background
England arrived in the United States among the most fancied sides at the tournament, and their victory over Croatia suggested a smooth passage out of the group. Ghana's resilience changed that calculation, exposing a bluntness in the final third when faced with a patient, deep-lying opponent.
The draw rewards Ghana's discipline and lifts the pressure on qualification that had looked comfortable after match one. England retain control of their own fate but can no longer rely on simply turning up.
What happens next
Attention now shifts from performance to pressure. England must rediscover their cutting edge in the final group game, while Ghana will fancy their chances of progressing if they can repeat the structure and concentration shown here.
Source: This summary is based on reporting by The Guardian. The NE Times aggregates and rewrites news for readability; please refer to the original for the full report.
For informational purposes only. The NE Times does not provide live or breaking news coverage — we collect stories from established sources and present them in a readable format. Disclaimer.
You may also like to read
Ollie Watkins Warns England Not To Settle For Survival Against Ghana
The Aston Villa striker says England must chase top spot in their World Cup group rather than assume qualification will take care of itself before a testing clash with Ghana.
England's projected World Cup path turns every group game into a high-stakes decision
Analysis of Thomas Tuchel's possible knockout route has put fresh weight on where England finish in their group, with finishing position likely to dictate the difficulty of the draw to come.
Trevoh Chalobah Turns Late England Call-Up Into A World Cup Opportunity
The Chelsea defender was summoned to Thomas Tuchel's squad after Tino Livramento's injury, turning a summer on the outside into a chance on the biggest stage.
Tuchel's England warm up in style as Croatia opener looms
Thomas Tuchel's England head into their World Cup opener against Croatia full of confidence after beating New Zealand and Costa Rica in their Florida warm-up matches, with Declan Rice and a deep, settled squad fuelling genuine optimism.