GREAT BLOCKADE: England frustrated by disciplined Ghana defensive wall; Ronaldo hits back
As England grappled with Ghana’s unbreakable defence in a goalless draw, Cristiano Ronaldo reminded the world of his prowess, scoring twice in Portugal’s commanding 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.
England coach Thomas Tuchel said his team had been frustrated by one of the most robust defensive displays he had ever seen in Tuesday’s 0-0 World Cup draw with Ghana, and he urged fans to stay positive.
“Full respect (to Ghana) and they defended with a lot of determination, with a lot of discipline, and with one of the most physical performances that I saw from a team defending,” the German told reporters.
“We had enough set-pieces to decide the match but we were not clinical enough,” he said, adding that he took more positives from the game than negatives.
Tuchel acknowledged that fans might be frustrated after England failed to repeat the flowing, attacking football of their 4-2 win over Croatia in the opening match of the tournament.
England’s 78.8% possession against Ghana was the highest in records dating back to 1966 by any side in a World Cup match without managing to score.
“If... one team tries to play and run against this deep block and you don’t find the spaces and it’s difficult for you to create chances, it can be difficult to watch,” Tuchel said. “We always try to entertain our fans. It was difficult today. I hope they don’t lose belief. There’s a long way to go.”
Tuchel also said Harry Kane was unlikely to miss as good a chance in the rest of the tournament as the one he blazed over the bar in the 86th minute after substitute Nico O’Reilly hit the crossbar with a header and the ball rebounded perfectly for the England captain.
“Ninety-nine out of 100 he will convert this chance,” Tuchel said.
England have four points from their first two games, almost certainly enough to send them into the first knockout round, and they finish their Group L campaign against Panama on Saturday.
Frustrate England
Ghana fully deserved their hard-earned goalless draw, coach Carlos Queiroz said, as his team snatched a point that all but assures the Africans a spot in the knockout stage.
England had most of the possession – as much as 80% for much of the first half – but struggled to create any meaningful scoring chances until late in the game when O’Reilly headed onto the crossbar and Kane fired over.
Queiroz’s players worked hard to shut down spaces around the box and double-team England’s forwards when they did find an opening.
This was the first match in this World Cup where neither team managed to get a shot on target for the entire first half.
“I am so proud of the way our players fought during the game, how much they stand behind the plan, the game plan,” said Queiroz, in his fifth World Cup appearance as a coach.
“When you have to defend, you defend. I cannot play samba when they play rock and roll. That’s the name of the game, but the goal was exactly to finish the first half with the England team frustrated, with no solutions.”
It was much of the same after the break with Kane getting England’s first shot on target in the 59th minute and piling on late pressure.
“The first goal, it’s achieved, we qualify for the second round,” said Queiroz, whose team are on four points, as many as England, following their 1-0 opening win over Panama, but have not yet mathematically secured their spot in the knockout stage.
The top two teams of each group advance to the round of 32 along with the eight third-best teams.
“My players always believed that we had the chance to win against a great team. I will say, in my humble opinion, England, they can be candidates to win the World Cup. But this is a result, an achievement,” said Queiroz, who had two stints as Manchester United assistant manager in the 2000s.
“When they (England) went into half-time, they knew they don’t have solutions to beat us and that was when we started to grow up and control the game. We could have scored. Unfortunately, we didn’t do it, but I think also England could score. So, a draw is a fair result.”
Ronaldo arrives late to the party
Cristiano Ronaldo joined the World Cup party with his two goals for Portugal against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, putting behind him a difficult week and reminding fans that his predatory instincts around the box have not diminished.
Ronaldo netted twice in the first half as Portugal romped to a 5-0 win, bringing relief to both the player and the team, who had come in for heavy criticism following a lacklustre 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opener.
Ronaldo also had to watch Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé light up the tournament with their goals.
But he now has two of his own as he became the first player in history to score in six World Cups and became Portugal’s leading scorer at the global finals, passing Eusebio.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said Ronaldo’s rivalry with Messi was important for both players, and was what drove them to stay at their best.
“I believe both players have improved football over the years and their rivalry is important for themselves to grow,” he said. “(Ronaldo) is an icon and a role model in the national team. He has a great attitude on the pitch and in the dressing room.
“Not just the scoring, the passes, the chances created, he is a role model when it comes to the World Cup.”
Ronaldo appeared to shout “I’m back!” at the television cameras as he left the pitch following his two goals, but Martinez says he has never seen the player doubt himself.
“He is a human being and is allowed to have feelings,” he said. “I have never worked with a player that says, whatever happens today, tomorrow he is hungry to work again. “And that is a quality I would like to pass on to every young player.”
Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, who lifted the trophy for Italy at the first of Ronaldo’s six World Cups in 2006, said he had nothing but praise for the longevity of the forward.
“When you play against Ronaldo, you cannot leave anything for him. If you give him even one centimetre, he will score,” Cannavaro said. “The (Portugal) players play for him, they give the ball to him. As a defender you need to be very smart to be close to him.
“He is a very good professional, and I told him after the game, ‘you can play for more years and enjoy your football’.” Reuters/DM
