England’s second World Cup outing ended in a goalless stalemate against Ghana in Boston, a result that left Thomas Tuchel’s side frustrated by their own bluntness but also grateful for two second-half reprieves. The Group L draw, played before a crowd at the home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, means both teams remain locked on four points heading into the final round of group matches.

The flashpoints centred on Ghana substitute Prince Adu. In the 67th minute, Adu chased a ball towards the edge of the area and collided with England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who had rushed from his line. Honduran referee Saíd Martínez awarded a free-kick to England, a decision that Ghana’s bench believed should have brought a red card for denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Twelve minutes later, Adu burst into the box and was brought down by a lunging challenge from Ezri Konsa. Replays showed the England defender made no contact with the ball, catching the forward on the knee. Martínez again waved play on, and the video assistant referee, Armando Villareal of the USA, did not intervene. Viewed from London, former England striker Wayne Rooney told the BBC the challenge was “a penalty”, adding that Konsa “takes a huge risk… he gets the man, not the ball”. Darren Cann, a former Premier League official and 2010 World Cup final assistant referee, concurred: “Konsa makes no contact at all with the ball, he brings down his opponent… For me this was a penalty kick.”

Ghana’s Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz channelled his anger through sarcasm. “Is VAR still working in the World Cup?” he asked. “The VAR referee was on vacation in the second half, apparently.” He later returned to the theme: “Once again, the VAR went for coffee. I like to take my coffee once in a while! It’s a clear penalty and a red card.” Queiroz then softened his tone, acknowledging that serious criticism could draw Fifa sanctions. The non-intervention aligns with a broader shift at this tournament. Pierluigi Collina, Fifa’s head of referees, has instructed officials to maintain a higher threshold for on-field challenges, reducing VAR reviews unless a decision is “clearly, clearly wrong”. Analysts in Accra noted that Ghana, who had lost their previous coach after a friendly defeat to Germany, had been organised and resilient, limiting England to few clear chances despite the Europeans’ 79 per cent possession — the highest figure for a team failing to score at a World Cup in six decades.

England’s best late opportunity fell to Nico O’Reilly, whose header struck the crossbar, and Harry Kane blazed the rebound over. The result leaves Tuchel’s side needing to secure progress to the last 32 against already-eliminated Panama in New York on Saturday, while Ghana face Croatia in a decisive fixture for qualification. For all the post-match debate over VAR, the stalemate ensures that both sides’ fates remain in their own hands.