Harry Kane, England silenced by a stout, joyous Ghana group in Foxborough
FOXBOROUGH — England brought its supporters, its celebrities, and its weather. Ghana brought its defense.
England dominated the seating bowl on a cool, rainy day, with the stands bathed in white and British celebs such as David Beckham and the band Mumford & Sons looking on.
A superior England squad, No. 4 in the FIFA world rankings, dominated the match, outshooting No. 73 Ghana, 19-2, and controlling 72 percent of the possession.
But it was the Ghanaian fans dancing and celebrating at the final whistle. Ghana packed in its defense, swarmed star England striker Harry Kane, withstood a furious push in extra time, and secured its second straight shutout with a scoreless draw in Group L play in front of 63,983 fans. Ghana also held Panama scoreless in a 1-0 victory last week.
“This showed that football is not only about tactics. It’s about bravery, courage, determination and intelligence,” Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz said. “To go and last 90 minutes with focus and concentration and fight for every single ball, we have to celebrate.”
Kane, England’s all-time leading goal scorer in international play with 81, had a chance for the winner in the 86th minute, but his rebound attempt inside the box sailed far over the crossbar.
“Ninety-nine out of 100, he will convert this chance,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said. “The last one is normally a clear goal, and that would’ve gotten us a deserved win.”
Kane, the Bayern Munich star and avid Tom Brady fan, could barely find any breathing room. He was held to just 19 touches and three shots as Ghana suffocated the English attack. Against Croatia, Kane had 35 touches, seven shots, and two goals.
Kane didn’t find an opportunity Tuesday until extra time in the first half, but was immediately swarmed by two Ghanaian defenders. His first clean shot came in the 69th minute, and was easily fielded by Ghana goalie Benjamin Asare. His only other opportunity came on his late misfire.
“He was not as involved as we would like to, but it was so narrow,” Tuchel said. “They defended us with a lot of discipline, a lot of determination. It was one of the most physical performances I saw from a team defending.”
England and Ghana sit atop Group L with 4 points each, with England holding a plus-one advantage in goal differential with one match remaining. But Tuesday’s draw felt like a win for Ghana, looking to advance past the group stage for the first time since 2010.
It was nowhere near the level of upset as Cape Verde tying Spain last week, but it was a validating result for the Black Stars nonetheless. Only a handful of Ghanaians play in England and the European leagues, yet Ghana hung tough with a top-five nation filled with superstars.
England was disappointed it could not build upon its 4-2 win over Croatia in its opener.
“They celebrated like a win after, and we were disappointed, so you can see clearly the difference in the approach,” Tuchel said.
Though this was the first of four World Cup matches in Foxborough to not feature any scoring, the closing minutes were frenetic. England’s Nico O’Reilly hit the crossbar to create Kane’s golden opportunity, and England had four corner kicks in extra time after that.
At the other end, Ghana’s Prince Adu had a breakaway in the 79th minute stymied by a diving defender on a questionable non-call, and Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo, Ghana’s best player, fired wide in the 90th.
“The VAR referee was on vacation in the second half apparently, because we had a clear goal and we could have won the game,” Queiroz said.
Asare stopped all four shots on target, including a diving save in the 86th minute to preserve the tie. Tuchel warned Monday that Ghana would be a physical opponent, and the match featured four significant collisions that led to injury stoppages.
“You have to give credit to Ghana. It’s tough and they are good players, so it was never going to be an easy game,” England midfielder Declan Rice said. “Loads of top nations draw the first game, so there is no need to be negative or downbeat. We will stay positive.”
While neither England nor Ghana clinched a spot in the Round of 32, each is on the verge. England finishes group play Saturday in New York against Panama, while Ghana faces Croatia Saturday in Philadelphia.
The fifth and final group match in Foxborough will be Friday between France and Norway, with the winner finishing atop Group I. The stadium will host a knockout game featuring Germany on Monday, and a quarterfinal match on July 9.
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