England were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Ghana in Boston, and Jude Bellingham said he didn’t deserve the man-of-the-match award.
Just six days after their entertaining 4-2 win over Croatia, Thomas Tuchel’s side faced a very different challenge. Ghana did a good job of breaking up England’s attacks throughout the match. It was hard to get good scoring chances in this game
The best opportunity to score came to Harry Kane near the end of the match. Substitute Nico O’Reilly saw a back-post header hit the post, and the rebound dropped perfectly for Kane just yards out. But he blazed his shot over the bar with the goal wide open.
Bellingham was named player of the match, but the Real Madrid midfielder felt it should have gone to someone else. “I didn’t deserve it, to be honest,” he said. “It should have gone to one of their lads who defended so well. I had a couple of moments, it was hard to get into the game. Like always, it’s second-game fever with England. Win the first one, do well and draw the second. It’s OK though, they played for a draw that would’ve seen them go through and fair play to them.”
It’s the fourth major tournament in a row that England have drawn their second group game.
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Declan Rice refused to get too downbeat. “Loads of top nations drew their first game, so there’s no need to be negative,” he told the BBC. “You have to give credit to Ghana, they were 5-4-1 off the ball, very compact, tight spaces to play through. But of course, on the other hand, maybe we can do a little bit more with the ball. It’s always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were. We were unlucky not to score, but we stay positive.”
The first half produced no shots on target from either side, the first time that’s happened at this World Cup. Assistant coach Anthony Barry described Ghana’s setup at halftime as “deep, deep, deep, probably deeper than we expected.”
Ghana had their own moment of controversy late on. Prince Adu appeared to be brought down in the penalty area by Ezri Konsa, but the referee waved away strong appeals for a spot-kick.
Kane was left to rue his big miss. “I was kind of just there waiting for an opportunity like that to fall my way,” he said. “It was kind of a game as a striker, where you’re just waiting for the ball to bounce, and it did. I just couldn’t quite get over the ball. I back myself to score that more often than not. I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t always go in.”
He also noted that he was man-marked by Thomas Partey for much of the game. “I didn’t have the space to drop deep and then arrive later in the box, but they also defended the box well. We had plenty of crosses but just couldn’t quite get the first contact.”
Tuchel expected a tough game and wasn’t overly frustrated. “I saw it coming,” he told the BBC. “I knew this would be a difficult game. Ghana are physical and so committed. Full credit to them. They were difficult to break down. You need to be patient, but at the right moments be brave. We conceded only two dangerous chances. I liked the attitude, but you need a bit of luck.”
The draw means England are still in a strong position to top Group L. They face Panama next, needing a win to secure first place. Ghana, meanwhile, are one of just four teams yet to concede a goal at the tournament, alongside Spain, Argentina, and Morocco.
FAQs
Q. What was the result of England’s match against Ghana?
A. England were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana.
Q. What did Jude Bellingham say about winning Player of the Match?
A. He said he didn’t deserve it and felt a Ghana defender should have won the award.
Q. Who missed England’s best chance to score?
A. Harry Kane missed an open goal late in the match.
Q. How did Declan Rice describe Ghana’s defending?
A. Rice said Ghana defended very deep and made it difficult for England to create chances.
Q. What do England need in their final group match?
A. They need to beat Panama to secure top spot in Group L.
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