Beckham sums up England's Ghana stalemate with blunt nine-word verdict

David Beckham captured England’s tepid 0-0 draw with Ghana at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Tuesday in a single sentence: “They didn’t want to win, only to not lose.” The former Three Lions captain watched from a private box alongside his son Cruz as Thomas Tuchel’s side failed to build on their 4-2 opening win over Croatia.

The remark was attributed to Beckham by Jeremy Clarkson, writing in The Sun. Clarkson recounted that Beckham arrived at his box before kick-off and told actor Kit Harington that Ghana would make for a difficult evening, reasoning that the Africans were playing for the point that kept their World Cup qualification hopes alive. Clarkson admitted he regretted not pressing Beckham further on tactics, but confessed he could not think of the right questions.

Beckham’s frustration was visible throughout the match. He buried his head in his hands after Harry Kane spurned a late chance that would have settled the contest, a moment that encapsulated England’s inability to break down a disciplined, physically committed Ghana side.

Kane acknowledged the miss after the final whistle. “I was waiting for an opportunity like that to fall my way,” the England captain told BBC Sport. “It did, and I just couldn’t quite get over the ball. I’d back myself to score that more often than not, but I’ve been a striker long enough to know they don’t always go in.”

Thomas Tuchel was generous in his assessment of the opposition. “I hardly saw a team defend so physically and so committed like Ghana did, so give credit to them,” the England head coach said. “It was difficult to break them down. We needed to be patient, precise and brave, but you can never for one second open spaces for counter-attacks.”

England remain strong favourites to advance from the group stage and face Panama next.