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  "path": "/2026/06/23/wayne-rooney-names-two-players-england-missed-ghana-stalemate-28898599/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-23T22:57:33.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Cole Palmer",
    "Declan Rice",
    "England men's football team",
    "Phil Foden",
    "Wayne Rooney",
    "England",
    "goalless draw with Ghana on Tuesday night.",
    "Thomas Tuchel",
    "Bukayo Saka",
    "Sign up",
    "players like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, who were both left out of the England squad",
    "Ghana",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
  ],
  "textContent": "Thomas Tuchel could not find a way through Ghana (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nWayne Rooney feels two players not in the England squad were missed during the goalless draw with Ghana on Tuesday night.\n\nAfter the scintillating 4-2 victory over Croatia in the opener, it was a very different affair in Boston as the Three Lions’ momentum took a hit.\n\nThomas Tuchel’s side finished the game with nearly 79 per cent possession and took 19 shots to Ghana’s two, but the points were shared.\n\nEngland did not really look like breaking the deadlock until the final few minutes when Bukayo Saka, Nico O’Reilly and Harry Kane all came close.\n\n##  Don't miss a World Cup moment\n\n(Picture: Getty)\n\n\nWe're witnessing history at this World Cup – our daily newsletter helps you make the most of it. Sign up.\n\nBefore then, the disciplined defence of Ghana did brilliantly, blocking a huge number of efforts before they could get near their goal.\n\nRooney reckons it was a game for players like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer, who were both left out of the England squad, but could have been the ones to pick the lock in Boston.\n\n‘These games are more difficult than games against better team that are better going forward. There’s more space,’ said the Manchester United legend.\n\nChelsea’s Cole Palmer missed out on the England squad (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n‘I don’t want to go back to it, But These games are when you need a Phil Foden or a Cole Palmer. Clever players in tight areas.’\n\nWhile no one managed to secure the breakthrough, Rooney singled out Declan Rice as not quite having the tools to crack open a low block.\n\n‘With Declan Rice, through all Declan’s qualities, getting in little tight areas and linking play…that’s where you probably need a Foden or a Palmer,’ he said.\n\nDeclan Rice was looking to the positives ahead of a final group game with Panama (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nRice spoke out about how difficult it was to find openings against the impressively stubborn defence of Carlos Quieroz’s side.\n\n‘It is always difficult when you play against 11 behind the ball as deep as they were, but you have to find solutions. In the last 10 minutes we were unlucky not to score,’ he told the BBC.\n\n‘We still have a great chance to top the group against Panama so positivity all round. 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.\n\n‘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. We have one more group game to top the group so we have to be positive.\n\n‘Loads of top nations draw the first game so there is no need to be negative or downbeat. We will stay positive.’\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Wayne Rooney names two players England missed in Ghana stalemate"
}