Just days after Thomas Tuchel claimed England’s thrilling win over Croatia would excite “fans in pubs”, the follow-up against Ghana sobered them up instantly. A drab, goalless draw in the mizzling Boston rain has reopened an age-old fear: first game good, second game soporific. It’s a trend that has followed England through the last two Euros and the previous World Cup in Qatar, and rarely has the contrast been as stark.
Against a Ghana side marshalled by wily coach Carlos Queiroz—who took great pleasure in suggesting England had “no solutions”—the Three Lions dominated possession with 78.2% but found an insurmountable barrier of resilience, physicality and organisation. Ghana’s deep 4-5-1 block frustrated England’s attackers, and despite introducing Bukayo Saka for the laboured Anthony Gordon 25 minutes from time, only a late Saka shot forced a fine save from Benjamin Asare. Harry Kane found space in injury time but his drive was blocked by Jonas Adjetey.
“England held 0-0 by Ghana in dour World Cup draw; Declan Rice spotted limping.”
“It is difficult to find a way through when someone plays a 4-5-1 and completely deep and is committed to it,” Tuchel admitted. “They celebrated a 0-0 like a win. You cannot lose your head about it.” Asked whether England were over-reliant on Kane, Tuchel deflected: “Does Argentina rely too heavily on Messi and France rely too heavily on Kylian Mbappe? It’s just what it is. … We rely on Harry because we can, but we don’t over-rely on him.”
Declan Rice struck a positive note: “We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama, so positivity all round.” But the Arsenal midfielder was later spotted limping after the match, adding to fitness concerns he has spoken openly about since arriving at camp. England remain top of Group L, but the prospect of facing Panama is no longer a luxury—running up the score in New Jersey on Saturday is essential to progress in first place.
The draw means England have now failed to win their second group game at any of the last four major tournaments. For a side that rolled out one of the most thrilling performances of the first round, this was a brutal reality check. The dirty work could not yield a breakthrough, and Tuchel now faces selection questions—not least whether Gordon can keep his place after another quiet display.