England were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana in Boston. Harry Kane spurned the clearest chance of the lot, skying a volley with the goal at his mercy, and Ghana dug in for a draw that felt like a win.
England were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana in Boston. Harry Kane spurned the clearest chance of the lot, skying a volley with the goal at his mercy, and Ghana dug in for a draw that felt like a win.
Ghana came on the field with a plan that was simple and a little unglamorous. Dig in and make Kane's teammates work for every yard. And it worked! England had the possession and the shots, but failed to score. Crosses came in and were headed clear. Shots flew off-target or straight at the keeper. Ghana, the most defensive of the four sides in this group, were more than content to defend.
The best opening came in the 86th minute, when Nico O'Reilly's header struck the crossbar and dropped to Harry Kane, who lifted his shot over the bar.
"We had enough shots and crosses and a big chance with Harry Kane," said Thomas Tuchel afterward.
Declan Rice pointed to Ghana's organisation as the root of England's struggle. But they also had a secret weapon, joked the English player. "Credit to Ghana, they defended well. We tried everything. Shots, headers, set-pieces... nothing worked. I don't know... maybe the black magic was working," he joked after the match.
The main concern for Tuchel emerged at full-time. Rice walked through the media mixed zone with his left calf heavily strapped and a clear limp. He was also booked. If Rice plays Panama and picks up another yellow, he would miss England's first knockout match. But he insisted there was no cause for alarm. "We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama, so positivity all round," Rice added.
The Three Lions are leaders in their group with four points from two games. A place in the knockout rounds is all but booked. However, the top spot, and the better side of the bracket that can come with it, is another matter, and that now hangs on the final round of group fixtures.
Rice's fitness is the immediate question. Tuchel has Kobbie Mainoo and Jordan Henderson available if he opts to leave the midfielder out. England's medical staff will assess the calf over the coming days before Saturday's fixture against Panama in New Jersey. Ghana will face Croatia in the last group match.
