WORLD CUP 2026: How England rated By Craig Hope in Boston

 

How England rated By Craig Hope in Boston

Lucky escape: Konsa makes a wild lunge as Adu bears down on goal, but avoids conceding a late penalty.

WELL, that didn’t the optimism of England’s swash- buckling second-half performance in their 4-2 win over Croatia last week, they fell to earth with a performance as damp as the Boston weather. 

Nico O’Reilly crashed a header against the bar late in the game, but this was a match in which England looked flat against a Ghana team that gave them a couple of scares and looked stronger as the game wore on. 

All England’s fluency and adventure in Dallas had disappeared. What was left was a halting performance that makes it hard to see how this side can compete with sides like France and Spain, who are already hitting their stride and looking highly capable of winning this tournament.