Soccer
Old England show up in New England, so why were they frustrated by Ghana?
FIFA+: World Cup archive & programmes FREE on DAZN
Just as England fans were getting excited about their World Cup prospects, old habits reared their frustrated heads.
Over the years, there's been Morocco in '86, Nigeria in 2002, Algeria in South Africa and even the stalemate with the Scots at Euro 2024, but it's a performance we've become accustomed to from England at major tournaments.
Up against low blocks and a team who sit behind the ball, the Three Lions just can't find the answers.
Yet, this team wasn't supposed to repeat the same old failings of those who've come before them. Instead, they'll leave Boston with a World Cup reality check.
Harry Kane – World Cup 2018 Golden Boot winner
Every goal from Kane’s 2018 tournament
A stark contrast
The display against Croatia was a real statement victory from Thomas Tuchel's men.
The swashbuckling attacking intent was something we hadn't seen from the national side in many years, and despite some lapses at the back, their second-half performance blew Croatia away and they should have been out of sight by the midway point.
It raised hopes that this approach, akin to Premier League intensity, would be repeated against Ghana and the Three Lions would sail through to the last 32.
Yet, we saw a performance that was miles away from the thrust and verve in game one and it looked like an England team we'd seen time and time again in tournament football.
So why such a difference?
Getty
No joy for the Three Lions
Credit where credit is due, the Africans' game plan worked a treat. Ghana defended very well, gave England little space and when there was room, doubled up quickly on their most dangerous players. Harry Kane hardly got a sniff, while Jude Bellingham wasn't allowed to dictate the game.
The approach can't have come as a surprise, but throughout the game, they couldn't find a way around it.
England moved the ball too slowly, were too passive, failed to go direct, and their most creative players were stifled by the Ghanaians. Anthony Gordon will be hard-pressed to put in a more ineffective outing in an England shirt, while Noni Madueke saw a lot of the ball, but did very little with it.
Getty
Even the set pieces were wasted, rarely beating the first man and a world away from the danger we saw from Declan Rice in Dallas.
In the second half, the substitutes were brighter, but in 85 minutes of football, England failed to really make the goalkeeper work, until a late flurry saw Nico O'Reilly hit the bar before Kane squandered the rebound. Too little, too late as it turned out, though.
Damage control
Of course, there is no reason to panic. A win over Panama on Saturday and most of this performance will ultimately be seen as a small blip in what's hopefully to come.
However, it's a frustration that many had hoped we wouldn't see under the latest England boss, because it's one we've had to endure far too much over the years.
On to New York, where they'll come up against a Panama side who will more than likely try the same tactics to once again thwart England. So, it's over to Thomas Tuchel to find the answers and prevent another disappointing result.
Watch World Cup archive, highlights and documentaries for FREE on DAZN
DAZN is the home of FIFA+ , a vast library of football on-demand content including World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, player profiles, live matches and both full match replays and highlights.
Watch it all for FREE on DAZN on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles and web browsers.
