England coach Thomas Tuchel admitted his team lacked acumen in Tuesday’s frustrating 0-0 draw with Ghana, but insisted there were plenty of positive signs in the quest for the world title.
«It’s a long tournament and I think the boys tried everything. They played with the right energy,» Tuchel said after the stalemate at Gillette Stadium near Boston.
«We always try to entertain our fans. It was difficult today, but I hope the fans don’t lose their faith. There is still a long way to go. I just feel like I was right that we were in a very difficult group.»
England had 79 percent of the ball but could not break the determined Ghanaian defense in the Group L match.
READ | England vs Ghana – Three Lions held to a goalless draw; player ratings
It also lacked the sharpness that made the difference in the opening 4-2 win against Croatia in Dallas, with 19 attempts on goal but only three attempts on target.
Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly hit the crossbar late on after coming off the bench, and Harry Kane fired over the rebound to sum up a frustrating day for England.
«It caught his eye and 99 times out of 100 he takes that opportunity. If he takes his chance, maybe now we are talking about patience, discipline and performance,» Tuchel added.
«But now it’s 0-0 and maybe the headlines are a little different. We had enough set pieces to decide the game but we weren’t clinical enough.»
The German said it was «just plain» to rely on Kane, who was unable to add to his two goals against Croatia and move ahead of Gary Lineker as his country’s all-time top scorer at the World Cup.
Tuchel also admitted the match could serve as a ‘reality check’, even if the outcome is hardly too problematic for England – they have four points from two games and a win against Panama at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday will confirm progress to the last 32 as group winners.
‘VAR went for coffee’
«This is a tough, tough team to play against. None of us thought there was an easy game ahead of us, but there were a lot of things that were much better than against Croatia.»
“It’s just not the same result or excitement, but it takes two to tango,” he added in a nod to Ghana’s defensive approach.
England remain unbeaten against African opponents at the World Cup, but the Black Stars were clearly delighted with the run that keeps them on course to reach the knockout stages for the first time since reaching the quarter-finals in 2010.
«Football is not just about possession of the ball. It is also about having the right attitude,» said Ghanaian coach Carlos Queiroz as his team built on their opening 1-0 win against Panama.
“We celebrated because we drew against a team that is among the favorites to win the World Cup.”
His team also has four points before heading to Philadelphia to face Croatia.
«You have to pay a high price to get points. Probably because we are in the United States, where everything is expensive,» he joked.
However, the former Real Madrid and Portugal boss also felt his team should have been awarded a penalty for a late challenge on Ezri Konsa’s Prince Adu.
Nothing was given by the Honduran referee and he was not called to check the VAR monitor.
“The VAR went for a coffee which is natural, but it is a clear penalty and a red card,” Queiroz emphasized.
Published on June 24, 2026
