England laboured to a 0-0 draw with Ghana in Boston as Harry Kane blazed over late and Anthony Gordon’s sluggish, safe display drew the harshest verdict. Despite the stalemate, England remain in a strong position to qualify as Group L winners ahead of their ma
England’s night in Boston felt like it was slipping through their fingers in slow motion.
They had the ball. they probed. they looked organised — but when the moment finally arrived. Harry Kane fired over from eight yards late on. Ghana stayed stubborn and well-drilled, and a goalless draw left England with their qualification still in a strong position. Still. the scoreline didn’t tell the full story for those watching closely: the sharpness was missing. and one England attacker in particular looked like a selection could be coming under real threat.
Thomas Tuchel made two changes after the 4-2 win over Croatia last week. bringing in Djed Spence and Marc Guehi for Nico O’Reilly and John Stones. The adjustment was clear in England’s back line. They dominated possession throughout. but could not create a clear-cut chance until Kane’s late effort. and even then it was a miss rather than a breakthrough. England also benefited when Ezri Konsa lunged in a way that could have earned a penalty for Ghana.
The point means England remain on track to qualify as Group L winners, with their final match against Panama on Saturday.
Jordan Pickford earned a 5/10. described as a first-half spectator who was lucky midway through the second half after rushing from his area and colliding with Prince Adu — he was awarded a free-kick. but it could have gone the other way. Reece James was rated 6/10 after a nasty whack to the head that required lengthy treatment. before he recovered and was strong when defending. Ezri Konsa was given a 5/10 for a first half that was easier than last time. despite completing more than 100 passes — mostly short ones into midfield or out to a full back — and for being very fortunate not to concede a late penalty after a wild tackle.
Marc Guehi was also rated 5/10. The verdict was that he strolled through the first hour and stayed neat on the ball. but once Ghana tested him with a ball in behind. he was caught on his heels. and England got away with it. Djed Spence. brought in by Tuchel. was rated 6/10: the report pointed to a smart recovery after Marvin Senaya stole in on the shoulder of Anthony Gordon just after half-time and denied Ghana a goal. It was seen as the reason for his selection — defensively it worked — but he “could offer more in attack.”.
Elliot Anderson was rated 6/10 in a match described as strange for him. He had plenty of the ball and tried to get things started. yet his usual penetration wasn’t there. with a couple of sloppy moments blamed on frustration. A blow to his back then disrupted his rhythm. Declan Rice was rated 7/10 for a much stronger showing: higher up the pitch. closer to the action. going close with a free-kick. and teeing up chances for others. His set-pieces. however. were graded as not as good. and he was booked for mistiming a tackle in the first half.
Noni Madueke received a 5/10. He was credited for always being open to receive the ball and for beating his man a couple of times. but the criticism was that not enough came from him in the final moment. Errant balls also seemed to irritate team-mates. Jude Bellingham was rated 5/10 as well and was judged to be way below his best. A “long chat” with an animated Tuchel during the first half was presented as evidence that he was struggling to impact. and after the break it didn’t improve — he finished with just one blocked shot before half-time.
The harshest rating came for Anthony Gordon, scored at 4/10. He had more of the ball — 25 first-half touches compared to nine versus Croatia — but the report’s conclusion was blunt: he didn’t do enough with it. He was said to need to back himself more often to attack his full back. because his play became “all too safe and slow.” After that kind of performance. the line was clear: his place is under threat now.
Harry Kane, the captain, was rated 5/10. By half-time he had eight touches and only one in the box. The verdict made room for the idea that it wasn’t entirely his fault because “invention was poor in behind.” But Kane also wasn’t at his usual level. with his wild blast over the goal from right in front at the death standing out.
Tuchel’s plan to change the game did not land with the timing the scoreline might have demanded. Bukayo Saka. on for Anthony Gordon in the 65th minute. was rated 6/10 and was described as nearly providing the spark. with a run and a low shot saved. Nico O’Reilly. on for Djed Spence in the 66th. was rated 5/10 after hitting the bar late on and driving into the penalty area. before Kane thrashed over. Morgan Rogers (on for Jude Bellingham. 73) was rated 5/10 for putting himself about but not adding the “little bit of magic” that had been missing. Eberechi Eze (on for Elliot Anderson. 74) was rated 4/10 after losing the ball leading to a big Ghana chance. and he didn’t threaten at the other end. Marcus Rashford (on for Noni Madueke, 83) was rated 5/10, with his cameo judged not as bright as last time.
The final review also carried a judgement on the manager. Thomas Tuchel was given a 5/10 for changes that were viewed as not making an impact, arriving too late in the case of Rashford. The report called it a “reality check,” and the conclusion was that England were poor.
Ghana’s response was compact and earned. Asare was rated 6/10, with Senaya at 7/10. Senaya was substituted by Peprah Oppong in the 87th minute. Adjetey was rated 7/10, Opoku 8/10 and Mensah 7/10. Partey was rated 7/10, while Williams was 5/10 and replaced by Fatawu in the 66th minute, who was rated 5/10. Yirenkyi was 7/10 and Sibo 6/10, with Semenyo at 5/10. Semenyo was not spared a gamble in the final stretch: Ayew, rated 4/10, was replaced by Adu in the 67th minute. Baba came on in stoppage time at 90+5.
Ghana’s coach Carlos Queiroz was rated 7/10. The booking came for Williams.
Refereeing was graded with mixed marks. Said Martinez from Honduras was given a 5/10. The report credited him for getting Rice’s booking right after a late tackle and for managing one or two flash points well. But it also said he missed a clumsy Konsa challenge for a probable Ghana penalty.
In the end, England went home with qualification still within reach — yet the way they struggled to turn possession into moments, and the way Anthony Gordon’s performance reads like a warning sign, will be the detail fans talk about long after the whistle.
England vs Ghana England 0-0 Ghana World Cup campaign Anthony Gordon Harry Kane Thomas Tuchel Declan Rice Djed Spence Marc Guehi Carlos Queiroz Boston Stadium
0-0 feels like a win for defenses honestly.
How is it “slipping through their fingers” if they’re still in a strong position? Sounds like the headline just needed drama. Also Kane always overthinks it at the end.
So they dominated possession but couldn’t finish… classic. But Gordon got “harshest verdict”?? I didn’t even think he played that bad, he was just safe like the article says. Maybe they wanted him to be unsafe or score or something, idk.
England remain Group L winners?? Like they already clinched it? Because I saw 0-0 and I assumed they were basically done. Kane blasting it over from 8 yards is wild though, that should’ve been automatic. And Tuchel subbed people in like Spence and Guehi (who?) but still no goals, so what was the point.