Frustrated by Ghana in Boston, England struggle for cutting edge
24.06.26, 05:30 Updated 24.06.26, 18:06 3 Minute Read
Phil Martin
In New England, there is a stubbornness to the coastline, a granite resilience that resists even the fiercest Atlantic storms. In Boston, sport carries that same edge: hard fought, uncompromising, rarely pretty when it matters most. An apt comparison for Carlos Queiroz and Ghana’s approach to the group L meeting in the Boston Stadium, as Thomas Tuchel’s new England stumbled on old problems in Foxborough and ultimately lacked their Texan swagger they’d shown in Dallas.
Instead, this was attack against defence, patience against resistance. A combination which made for a difficult watch at times, but it was also a game in which England dominated possession almost entirely. Credit to Ghana who arrived with a plan and executed it with discipline, falling into their shape, making the pitch feel small, and working so hard closing spaces. They defended well, but offered precious little ambition going the other way.
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Phil Martin Author, journalist and veteran of eight major tournaments, and England top capper, with a background in sports writing, editing and publishing.