England’s World Cup campaign has reached its first crossroads.
A dazzling 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opener suggested Thomas Tuchel’s side might finally have found the blend of talent and authority required to end six decades of hurt.
Harry Kane struck twice, England attacked with freedom and confidence, and the tournament suddenly looked full of possibility.
Then came Ghana.
The goalless draw in Foxborough, Massachusetts brought England back down to earth, exposing the familiar frustrations that have haunted them at major tournaments.
For all their possession and attacking talent, they struggled to break down stubborn opposition and needed a late surge merely to inject life into a performance that felt increasingly flat.
England head into their final Group L match against Panama knowing finishing top of the group is within their grasp. They are level on four points with Ghana at the top and Croatia lurk just behind on three.
“There were good parts and parts we can improve against Ghana,” Kane said. “It’s nothing to worry about and hopefully we can put it right against Panama.”
Tuchel will be keen to avoid final-day complications and restore some of the momentum lost against Ghana.
The spotlight will once again fall on Kane and Jude Bellingham. Kane remains England’s talisman and most reliable source of goals, while Bellingham’s ability to unlock packed defences could prove crucial against a Panama side expected to spend long periods without the ball.
England have happy memories when it comes to this fixture.
The last World Cup meeting between the teams produced one of their most emphatic victories, a 6-1 demolition in Nizhny Novgorod eight years ago in which Kane scored a hat-trick and England announced themselves as a force in Russia. They went on to finish fourth.
Saturday presents another mismatch on paper. England are targeting top spot in Group L and a place in the knockout rounds, while already-eliminated Panama are playing only for pride and the chance to end their tournament on a positive note.
Croatia and Ghana go go into Saturday’s final Group L game with their World Cup destiny in their own hands when a draw could send both sides into the round of 32 and a high-scoring match is unlikely.
Ghana are second in the group, level on four points with leaders England. Croatia are one point behind in third, knowing they cannot finish any lower having beaten bottom side Panama who have yet to earn a point.
Croatia are aware, however, that three points, and especially matched with a negative goal difference, may not be enough to earn one of the eight best third-placed berths in the knockout round, and will not be leaving anything to chance.
Both sides recorded 1-0 wins over Panama, but while Croatia opened with a 4-2 loss to England, Ghana held the group leaders to a scoreless draw to leave themselves in pole position to advance.
Croatia finished third in 2022, but four years on, the ageing squad’s performances are giving coach Zlatko Dalic cause for concern.
Dalic called their defeat to England the worst set-piece defending of his nine-year tenure, and was unimpressed by their narrow win over Panama.
His side now face a defensively solid Ghana who frustrated England, and have turned things around after an uninspiring buildup to the tournament. Ghana lost four consecutive games once qualifying was wrapped up, leading to the dismissal of Otto Addo.
This game is unlikely to be a goal fest. Ghana failed to register a shot on target in the opening half of their first two games, and Queiroz is unlikely to take too many risks knowing that one point will guarantee at least second place.
Croatia took fewer overall shots on goal than their opponents in the win over Panama, but did at least keep a clean sheet for the first time in eight matches.
Argentina head into their final Group J match against Jordan on Saturday (early hours of Sunday in South Africa) with one eye already on the knockout stage, while their rivals will be eager to sign off their first World Cup campaign on a positive note in what is effectively a dead rubber.
The South Americans have secured top spot in the group and a place in the round of 32 after beating Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0, with Lionel Messi scoring all five of their goals.
Before facing the Group H runners-up in Miami on July 3, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is expected to rotate his squad against Jordan.
Messi himself could be rested, with Nico Paz in line to step in for the talisman, who turned 39 on Wednesday and had recently recovered from a muscle strain.
Austria and Algeria will be involved in a straight shootout for second place in their World Cup Group J when they clash in Kansas City on Saturday, though a draw may suit both sides as they push for a place in the round of 32.
In Group K, when Portugal face Colombia in their final match, both teams will be jockeying to get a result that ensures they avoid a potential nightmare scenario in the round of 32.
While Colombia have reached the knockout stages with six points from two games, Portugal sit on four points and are all but through, but qualification is only part of the story.
Topping the group carries extra significance, with the Group K winners assured of a gentler path into the knockout rounds by facing one of the best third-placed sides while the runners-up could potentially meet England, Croatia or Ghana.
Colombia, runners-up at the 2024 Copa America, have impressed in a campaign blending attacking flair with a resilient defence that has made them awkward opponents.
Three goals against Uzbekistan set the tone and a narrow victory over Democratic Republic of Congo underlined their patience when facing stubborn opposition.
Portugal’s path has been bumpier. They drew criticism after managing just one shot on target despite completing 740 passes in a frustrating stalemate with DRC, before bouncing back with a 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan.
Victory for the Democratic Republic of Congo in their last Group K game against Uzbekistan on Saturday will not only offer them the opportunity to advance at the World Cup but help continue expunging a half-century of ignominy.
Though mathematically both teams are still in the race for a berth in the last 32, Uzbekistan would need a convincing win to stand any chance of taking one of the places reserved for the eight best third-placed finishers across the 12 groups.
Victory for DR Congo in Atlanta would take them to four points, which would be enough to progress into the knockout rounds and would have been scarcely believable some seven months ago when they entered the playoffs for the best four runners-up in the African preliminaries after failing to qualify directly.
There, they saw off Cameroon and Nigeria, before in March beating Jamaica in their inter-confederation playoff, taking 13 matches before securing their qualification.
It is DRC’s second World Cup, 52 years after they played in the 1974 finals, when the country was known as Zaire, and were subject to ridicule for a performance where they conceded 14 goals in three games without scoring themselves.
They were seen as naive and way behind the modern trends of the game, and so qualifying again has been a chance for redemption.
Coming World Cup fixtures:
Friday:
- Group I: Norway v France, Boston (9pm)
- Group I: Senegal v Iraq, Toronto (9pm)
Saturday:
- Group H: Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia, Houston (2am)
- Group H: Uruguay v Spain, Guadalajara (2am)
- Group G: New Zealand v Belgium, Vancouver (5am)
- Group G: Egypt v Iran, Seattle (5am)
- Group L: Panama v England, New Jersey (11pm)
- Group L: Croatia v Ghana, Philadelphia (11pm)
Sunday:
- Group K: Colombia v Portugal, Miami (1.30am)
- Group K: DR Congo v Uzbekistan, Atlanta (1.30am)
- Group J: Algeria v Austria, Kansas City (4am)
- Group J: Jordan v Argentina, Dallas (4am)
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