Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
England failed to replicate their brilliant attacking display from the tournament opener as a stubborn Ghana side held them to a scoreless draw at Boston Stadium. Thomas Tuchel watched his players struggle to break down a heavily fortified defensive block, leaving their hopes of early knockout stage qualification on ice. [
The tactical approach from Ghana completely neutralised the fluid passing that had previously torn Croatia apart. Sitting deep and suffocating space in the final third, the African nation restricted England to zero shots on target during the entire first half.
Tuchel attempted to inject fresh energy into a stagnant performance by turning to his substitutes bench as the second half progressed. Dealing with a persistent Achilles injury, Bukayo Saka was introduced alongside teenage midfielder Nico O’Reilly to spark the offense.
Saka forced an excellent diving save from opposition goalkeeper Benjamin Asare during a frantic late onslaught. Moments later, O’Reilly rose highest in the penalty box only to see his header crash away off the crossbar.
Defensive vulnerabilities almost cost England dearly during a chaotic counter-attack in the final minutes of the match. Defender Ezri Konsa risked conceding a penalty after bringing down Prince Kwabena Adu inside the area, but the referee ultimately declined to award a spot-kick.
The result keeps England at the summit of Group L with four points, though a demanding final matchday awaits. Meanwhile, Croatia secured a narrow win over Panama in the other group fixture to ensure the pool remains completely open.
England will travel to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey this coming Saturday to face Panama in their final group fixture. Simultaneously, Ghana will head to Philadelphia to battle Croatia in a high-stakes encounter that will decide who advances to the round of 32.
