FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts : England were frustrated by a disciplined Ghana side and had to settle for a 0-0 draw in their second Group L match at the World Cup on Tuesday, missing the chance to secure early qualification for the knockout stage.
The result left both teams well positioned to advance, with England following up their opening 4-2 victory over Croatia while Ghana added a valuable point to the dramatic 1-0 win they secured against Panama in their first outing.
Ghana made their intentions clear from the outset, sitting deep and denying England space in attacking areas under steady drizzle at Gillette Stadium.
Despite enjoying nearly 80% possession in the first half, Thomas Tuchel’s side struggled to create meaningful opportunities against Ghana’s compact defensive setup. The opening 45 minutes produced no shots on target from either side, the first such half at the tournament.
One of the loudest cheers before the break came when former England captain David Beckham appeared on the stadium’s giant screens.
Tuchel had warned before the match that Ghana, coached by veteran Portuguese manager Carlos Queiroz, would be highly organised. Queiroz, appearing at his fifth World Cup as a coach, drew on his extensive experience to frustrate England throughout.
England assistant coach Anthony Barry acknowledged the challenge at halftime.
“They were defending deep, deep, deep, probably deeper than we expected,” Barry said. “We need to stay patient.”
Seeking a breakthrough, Tuchel introduced Bukayo Saka and Nico O’Reilly midway through the second half before sending on Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze and Marcus Rashford as England increased the pressure.
Ghana remained dangerous on the counterattack, however, with Antoine Semenyo and substitute Prince Kwabena Adu providing pace and direct running whenever opportunities arose.
England’s best chance arrived in the 86th minute. O’Reilly’s header struck the crossbar and the rebound fell kindly for Harry Kane, but the captain fired over from close range.
“I just couldn’t quite get over the ball,” Kane said. “I’m backing myself to score that more often than not. I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t always go in, so I have to accept it.”
Queiroz praised his players for executing the game plan effectively against one of the tournament favourites.
“I am so proud of the way our players fought during the game and how much they stood behind the game plan,” he said.
The draw marked the fourth consecutive major tournament in which England have failed to win their second group-stage match, following similar outcomes at the previous two European Championships and the last World Cup.
Croatia and Panama, both without a point before kickoff, were due to meet later on Tuesday in the other Group L fixture.
