World Cup 2022: England, USA play out scoreless draw to keep Group B open
England edged closer to a place in the World Cup knockout rounds with a 0-0 draw with USA but their lacklustre display was a reality check on their ambitions at the tournament and means they will have to wait until their final group game with Wales on Tuesday to seal a last-16 spot.
Only a defeat to Wales by four goals or more would prevent Group B leaders England from making the next stage but Southgate will have to field questions about the big drop-off in his team’s performance and how they can rediscover form for the business phase of this competition.
After England thumped Iran 6-2 in their opening fixture in Qatar there was optimism among their supporters about their team building on their run to the final of the Euros last summer. But by the final whistle there were boos from those travelling fans, with Gareth Southgate’s side badly off the pace and disjointed against an energetic US team.
Christian Pulisic crashed a first-half shot against the bar and Harry Maguire had to head away a series of corners as the Americans put the pressure on in the second half. While there was no way through to emulate the famous upset in this fixture of 1950, USA did enough to recalibrate perceptions about England’s prospects and boost their own hopes of progressing.
Harry Kane’s blocked shot at the start of the match and his header wide from Luke Shaw’s free-kick in second-half stoppage time was as close as the toothless Three Lions attack came to troubling USA during an alarming – if not immediately damaging – performance.
USA, meanwhile, sit third in Group B, a point behind Iran, who they face on Tuesday. A win would see them into the last 16.
