England and Ghana fought out a tense scoreless draw at Gillette Stadium as the African side defended bravely to secure a valuable point.
Both nations entered this crucial World Cup group match on the back of opening victories. A win for either side in Foxborough would have guaranteed early qualification for the knockout rounds of the tournament.
England controlled the game right from the kickoff, monopolizing 79 percent of the ball. Winger Anthony Gordon looked lively on the left flank, testing the opposition defense with his direct running.
Despite having most of the ball, England struggled to break down a compact defense. Midfielder Declan Rice tried to spark his side into life, creating two key chances from deep positions.
Ghana focused on keeping their shape and stopping England from finding space. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey shielded his defense excellently, making four tackles to break up dangerous attacks in the first half.
The match grew increasingly physical as the first half drew to a close. Rice received a yellow card in the 41st minute for a mistimed tackle during a quick counter-attack.
At the interval, England needed to find more creativity to break the deadlock. Ghana looked comfortable with their defensive game plan and showed no desire to change their setup.
England pushed forward with greater urgency after the restart. Right-back Reece James delivered several dangerous crosses into the penalty area, but the Ghanaian defenders cleared their lines with ease.
In the 60th minute, Ghana forward Iñaki Williams picked up a yellow card. The referee booked the striker for a clumsy challenge as England tried to launch an attack.
Ghana defender Gideon Mensah put in a brilliant shift to frustrate the English attackers. Mensah made five successful tackles and kept a clean sheet against a star-studded forward line.
England finished the game with 19 total shots but only managed to test the goalkeeper three times. In contrast, Ghana offered very little going forward, recording just two shots during the match.
The hard-fought draw leaves both teams tied on four points at the top of the group. Both nations remain on track to reach the round of 16 with one group game left.
