Three Lions silent after 0-0 draw with USA

The Lions sent their supporters back to reality as they produced a lackluster performance against a well-organized USA team. The demoralising result left England manager Gareth Southgate under scrutiny, his failure to make pivotal changes left fans booing at the end of the match. The result against Iran boosted the morale of the nation and there was a strong air of belief that it's finally coming home. Unfortunately, a goalless draw against an average US side has left supporters in despair. England's defending was the only positive taken away from the draw, but fans are worried that it's not enough for a country striving for significant progress in the World Cup.

Despite the chemistry on display in the first game, England's players struggled to pass the ball forwards against the USA. The attacking threat on show Monday was a mere highlight of the past, with the disappearance of aggression at the top of the pitch for large majorities of the game. England's number 9, Harry Kane, yet again struggled to find his feet as he missed 2 of few opportunities for England. Some may contest that he wasn't provided with any real chances to score, but nonetheless it was another quiet performance for the English captain.

USA's attack caused some problems amongst the English defence. Luckily, England's centre back Harry Maguire used all his experience and growing confidence to keep the USA at bay. The 29-year-old hardly put a foot wrong, as he won 4 area duels and finished with an impressive passing accuracy of 88%. Harry Maguire and John Stones became a significant feature of England's draw, after the fullbacks found numerous difficulties containing the pace of USA's attack. Luke Shaw's side of defence looked very vulnerable, both fullbacks for England found difficulties containing the pace of USA's wingers. Christian Pulisic in particular was the standout player for the USA, Christian Pulisic came closest to a goal between the two sides, as he saw his effort strike the crossbar. Pulisic, the player of the match, kept the spirit alive for the USA camp and got the fans going throughout the 90 minutes.

“A draw is not the worst thing, but I felt there were stretches of the game where we showed dominance […] We even could have won the game.” Pulisic told reporters after the game.

Likewise, Lions manager Gareth Southgate shares the same view that a draw is sufficient in this stage of the competition. He said in his post-match discussions that he didn't approve of his players disappointment expressed at the performance.

“Of course I want the fans to go home with smiles on their faces, but I can’t let that affect how I feel,” he said.

“I am sure there will be a lot of noise about the performance but not many teams will qualify [from the group stages] with nine points.” he said. “We can still win the group and that’s the target.”

There's a big debate that an appearance of Phil Foden as a substitution in the second half would've made all the difference for England in the latter stages of the game. With that said, England remain in a positive position in the group standings. All that is required is for Southgate's players to avoid a 4-goal difference defeat against Wales on Tuesday. Wales are at the bottom of the group and have failed to gain a win in their opening 2 games, the possibility of a thrashing is little to none against an England team full of superstars. Gareth Southgate may look to his 26-man squad and make alterations ahead of Tuesday, in light of giving opportunities for other players and brining smiles back to the faces of his supporters.

AUTHOR

Samuel Gentles