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England beat Croatia 4-2 in Dallas, but Thomas Tuchel knows the scoreline flatters badly. Two goals conceded in the first half, both from Croatia’s opening two shots on target, both stemming from mistakes at centre-back. A defensive reshuffle is now coming for the Ghana fixture at Gillette Stadium on June 23, and the change designed to fix one problem risks creating another before Ghana has touched the ball in Foxborough. Whether that trade-off costs England points depends on how quickly a new centre-back partnership finds its feet.
Martin Baturina’s curling strike on 36 minutes arrived after a John Stones slip in midfield released Croatia’s press and allowed them to work the ball to the edge of the box. Petar Musa’s volley on the stroke of half-time was more damaging: a chipped pass over the back line that Konsa’s trailing leg kept onside, Ivan Perisic nodded on, and Musa rolled it through Pickford’s legs. Anthony Barry called the first-half display ‘confusing’ at the interval.
The channel data tells the structural story. Croatia made 16 final-third entries down England’s right flank versus just 8 down their left, finding space behind James repeatedly before England reorganised after the break.
| Final Third Channel | Croatia Entries vs England | England Entries vs Croatia |
| Left Channel | 8 | 13 |
| Left Inside | 4 | 4 |
| Central | 8 | 9 |
| Right Inside | 1 | 3 |
| Right Channel | 16 | 8 |
Marc Guehi is expected to replace Stones for the Ghana fixture. Alan Shearer and Joe Cole were both publicly baffled that he didn’t start against Croatia. Cole said, “Guehi was incredible this season. I find it strange they were even talking about not playing him.”
The logic for the change is clear enough. The problem it creates is subtler. Guehi has never started a competitive international alongside Konsa. Their partnership is recent, even at the club level, limited to months since Guehi’s transfer to Manchester City. Deploying an untested centre-back pairing against wide attackers who press both flanks from the first whistle carries genuine risk.
Nico O’Reilly started at left back in Dallas, not Djed Spence. James remains at right back. Ghana will have noted those 16 right-flank entries against his side of the pitch.
Mohammed Kudus is not at this tournament. He was ruled out in May with a quad and hamstring injury and did not make Ghana’s squad. Antoine Semenyo leads the attack, Kamaldeen Sulemana started on the left against Panama, and the combination of Abdul Fatawu and Brandon Thomas-Asante produced the 95th-minute winner in Ghana’s opener. Thomas-Asante’s run and cross set up Yirenkyi at the far post.
Thomas Partey missed the Panama match after being refused entry to Canada, but he is expected to return here. Ghana managed one shot in the first half against Panama. A narrow opening-match win can conceal as much as it reveals, and against an England side with James pushing forward, those transitions will open up.
Tuchel’s compound problem is straightforward to name: an untested centre-back partnership, a right-back whose attacking instincts leave space behind him, and an opponent with pace on both flanks who won their first match with a 95th-minute counter. England has the individual quality to absorb all of this. Kane, Bellingham, Saka, and Rashford are in or around the squad. But individual quality doesn’t replace defensive shape, and a back four that needs twenty minutes to find its footing can concede before that window closes.
The optimistic case for England is real. Guehi is a significant upgrade on a Stones who slipped and contributed to a first-half collapse. Konsa offers aerial presence and positional discipline that can limit what Semenyo and Sulemana do centrally. Kane against a Ghana side that was pegged back for long stretches against Panama means England doesn’t need to defend perfectly to win.
The pessimistic case is just as easy to make. England vs Ghana World Cup 2026 defense will be shaped in the first twenty minutes at Gillette, before Guehi and Konsa have built any communication, when Ghana’s wide men are freshest, and James’s overlapping runs are most tempting.
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Who scored for Croatia against England in Dallas?
Martin Baturina curled in the equalizer on 36 minutes, and Petar Musa added a volley on the stroke of half-time. Both goals came from Croatia’s first two shots on target.
Why is Tuchel dropping John Stones for the Ghana match?
Stones slipped in midfield in the lead-up to Croatia’s first goal, contributing to a two-goal first-half collapse that England’s own staff called ‘confusing.’ Marc Guehi, who Joe Cole described as “incredible this season,” is expected to replace him.
Is Mohammed Kudus playing for Ghana at this tournament?
No, Kudus was ruled out in May 2026 with a quad and hamstring injury and did not make Ghana’s squad. Antoine Semenyo leads the attack in his absence, alongside Sulemana, Fatawu, and Thomas-Asante.
How did Ghana win their opening match in 2026?
Ghana beat Panama with a 95th-minute goal: Thomas-Asante’s run and cross found Yirenkyi at the far post. Ghana managed just one shot in the first half and needed the late counter to take all three points.
Has Marc Guehi ever started alongside Ezri Konsa for England?
No, Guehi and Konsa have never started a competitive international tournament together. Their centre-back partnership is recent, even at club level, limited to months since Guehi’s transfer to Manchester City.
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