England Held by Defensive Ghana, Declan Rice Leaves Limping

England were frustrated by a 0-0 draw with defensive Ghana after opening the World Cup with a 2-4 win over Croatia. The result left Ghana among only four teams in the tournament yet to concede, alongside Spain, Argentina and Mexico, while England’s performance drew sharp criticism at home.

British media and former players slammed England’s attacking display, noting that Gareth Southgate’s side recorded 78.8% possession, the highest ever in a World Cup match for a team that failed to score. Despite controlling the ball, England struggled to break down Ghana’s deep block and created only limited chances.

Jordan Pickford told the BBC that England knew Ghana would counterattack and said, “We had to be ready for that,” adding, “We would have been happy to win the game, but we did not lose.” He said England still control their fate in the group and can finish first with a win over Panama. Declan Rice, who missed chances himself, said Ghana’s 5-4-1 shape made it difficult: “We have to find solutions.” He also insisted, “We will stay positive.”

Rice was later seen limping at the end of the interview, with a large bandage on his left shin, raising doubts about his fitness for the Panama match. Thomas Tuchel said Harry Kane’s missed chance was normally “a sure goal for us,” and added that Ghana “played even more defensively than in the first game,” using a 4-5-1. He said England improved as the first half went on and were solid against counterattacks, but “did not get what we wanted.”