Photo: AFP.
England and the United States drew 0-0 this afternoon, in a match with few risky actions, which was played at the Al Bayt stadium, in the town of Al Khor, and which left group B with an open definition, since all its members have numerical possibilities of passing to the second round.
With this equality, England is in first place with 4 points, followed by Iran with 3, the United States with 2 and Wales with 1.
The group will be defined on Tuesday 29 with the matches between Iran-United States and the British classic Wales-England.
This Friday’s match showed a lot of mobility from both teams and high pressure, but very few shots on goal and a large number of crosses that ended up on the heads of the rival defenders.
At first you could see a quick English pressure to take advantage of American doubtsalthough both teams sought to reach the rival field quickly, with long shots for Kane and Wright, the towers of both teams, to lower them for their teammates.
Photo: AFP.
Given the lack of efficiency in the first duel with Wales (1-1), the Yankee coach Berhalter moved the chips and sent Wright, scorer of Antalyaspor, from Turkey, onto the pitch.
But the English were turning the field in their favor and at 9m. they had a chance, with a good triangulation between Bellingham and Saka, which led to a shot from Kane that found the leg of a rival defender to prevent the conquest
The United States bet on a firm defensive bolt in the vicinity of their goalkeeper Turner until at 30m. he had a clear chance, with a shot off the crossbar by Christian Pulisic, the Chelsea midfielder.
Neither the coach Gareth Southgate nor his coaches could prevent the Americans from taking control of the game in the final part of the first half, although without generating too much anxiety for Pickford.
In return, in added time of the opening stage, Mason Mount had a good shot, but Turner sent it into a corner.
Photo: AFP.
The second half showed how United States had evened the gametaking control, although without causing risks, because England, through the head of Harry Maguire, disrupted all the centers of the North American cast.
As the minutes passed, Southgate switched to their wingers to place ‘fresh people’ and -in this way- slow down the advance of the American full-backs.
The two teams they began to feel comfortable with the resultfrom the lack of expertise of the English plus the lack of audacity and low resolution in the final meters of the Americans.
In history, England and the United States met 12 times; with 8 wins for the Europeans, 2 for the North Americans and 2 draws.
Is It was the third time they met in a World Cup, they already did it in Brazil in 1950, in which the United States won the match 1-0 (and was the protagonist of one of the historic thumps in the World Cups), and the most recent in South Africa 2010, where they tied 1-1.
Synthesis
England: Jordan Pickford; Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Harry Maguire y Luke Shaw; Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham y Bukayo Saka; Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount y Harry Kane. DT: Gareth Southgate.
USA: Matt Turner; Sergiño Dest, Walker Zimmerman, Tim Ream y Antonee Robinson; Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah; Haji Wright; Timothy Weah y Christian Pulisic. DT: Gregg Berhalter.
Changes in the second half: 22m Jordan Henderson por Bellingham y Jack Grealish por Sterling (I); 31m Brendan Aaronson por McKennie y Shaquell Moore por Dest (EEUU); 32m Marcus Rashford por Saka (I); 37m Giovanni Reyna por Weah y Josh Sargent por Wright (EEUU).
Referee: Jesus Valenzuela (Venezuela).
Estadio: Al Bayt (Al Khor).
