England’s swagger from the Croatia game was nowhere to be seen in the Massachusetts humidity on Tuesday night, as Thomas Tuchel’s side were held to a goalless draw by a well-organised Ghana in the second World Cup group game.
Jordan Pickford had little to do for long periods, but was seriously called into action twice when Ghana’s counter-attack threatened to turn a flat night into something far worse for England – moments that will be dissected as readily as Harry Kane’s late miss or Nico O’Reilly’s effort off the crossbar.
It wasn’t a performance defined by spectacular saves, because there were barely any to make. Ghana mustered little in terms of shots on target, and Pickford’s evening was instead shaped by two moments either side of the hour mark, both stemming from balls played in behind an England backline.
Stalemate built on frustration, but little goalmouth drama
Ghana set up with a low block and stuck to it. England dominated territory and possession — 78.9% of possession — but managed only a handful of half-chances in the first half, with Declan Rice’s looping header over the bar as close as they came.
Harry Kane could not find a way past Benjamin Asare, and a flurry of late chances went unconverted. For full details on how the night unfolded, FIFA’s official match report covers every moment.
For Everton keeper Pickford specifically, the spell of inactivity was broken just past the hour when substitute Prince Kwabena Adu raced clear from a ball played over the top. Pickford came off his line, the two collided, and referee Said Martínez awarded England a free-kick.
It was a marginal call – the BBC pundits noting that England were fortunate the decision went their way rather than the other way — and one that could easily have been a penalty or a card in the other direction.
Two incidents, neither decisive … in the end
The second flashpoint, for the want of a better word, came 13 twenty minutes later, when Ghana again broke at pace:
Abdul Fatawu was sent through with England’s defence exposed; Ezri Konsa recovered to block the first effort, and the rebound was cleared off the line by Reece James before Pickford was required to act again.
Both moments reflected the pattern of the match — an England side conceding space in behind as they pushed for a winner, and a goalkeeper reacting to situations largely created and then resolved by those in front of him. Aside from those two incidents, it was a quite night for Pickford.
There’s a wider context worth noting too. As covered in our preview of Pickford’s England record before kick-off, this was his 14th World Cup appearance, level with John Stones and behind only Peter Shilton’s 17.
Caps accumulate regardless of individual performance level on any given night, so the milestone says much about his longevity and selection than about Tuesday specifically.
Panama next…
England’s finishing will probably dominate the post-match inquest – their first 14 efforts of the night carried a combined expected-goals value of just 0.66 from nearly 79 per cent of the possession, a modest return by any measure.
Both sides now sit on four points heading into their final Group L fixtures, with England facing Panama and Ghana meeting Croatia on Saturday.
Pickford’s evening was uneventful by save count but not without its moments, and how England’s defence copes with a similarly direct Panama side may say more about the system than about the goalkeeper behind it.
Everton supporters tracking the wider squad’s World Cup summer can follow updates via our Blues World Cup player tracker.
