Declan Rice isn’t hitting the panic button. Not even close.
After England’s 0-0 stalemate with Ghana in their second World Cup group stage match, the midfielder made it clear that negativity isn’t going to creep into this squad. The draw wasn’t pretty. Ghana packed 10 men behind the ball in a compact 5-4-1 shape, and England spent most of the night trying to pick locks that wouldn’t budge.
But Rice sees a glass half full. He pointed out that England created chances late, just couldn’t finish. And more importantly, they still control their own path to the knockout rounds.
“It is always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were, but you have to find solutions,” Rice said after the match. “In the last 10 minutes we were unlucky not to score.”
One game left to top the group
England faces Panama in the final group stage match, and a win guarantees them first place. That means avoiding a potential early matchup with another group winner in the round of 16. The stakes are real, but Rice isn’t treating this like a crisis.
“We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama so positivity all round,” he said. “They were very compact, 5-4-1 off the ball and tight spaces to play through, but on the other hand, we can do more with the ball.”
The midfielder gave Ghana credit for executing their game plan. Good players, tough set-up, not an easy night. But he also pointed out that World Cup history is littered with top nations drawing games early and still making deep runs.
“Loads of top nations draw the first game so there is no need to be negative or downbeat,” Rice said. “We will stay positive.”
The performance against Ghana wasn’t going to make any highlight reels. England controlled possession but lacked the final pass, the sharp movement, the moment of magic that separates a grindy draw from a routine win. Fans online were quick to point out the lack of创造力 in midfield, and some questioned the tactical approach against a team that was never going to come out and play open soccer.
But Rice isn’t interested in the noise. The group stage isn’t over. The margin for error is still there. Panama won’t park the bus the same way Ghana did, at least that’s the hope. If England can find a goal early, the whole dynamic shifts. One win, and all of this gets flipped to a different narrative entirely.
“You have to give credit to Ghana. It’s tough and they are good players so it was never going to be an easy game,” Rice said. “We have one more group game to top the group so we have to be positive.”
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