Jude Bellingham cut a miserable figure as he posed for his Man of the Match photograph after England’s disappointing 0-0 draw with Ghana on Tuesday, admitting he ‘didn’t deserve’ the award.
After an inspiring 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening World Cup game, the Three Lions endured a frustrating afternoon in Boston, where they failed to break the deadlock against the resilient Africans despite boasting almost 80 per cent of possession.
Nico O’Reilly struck the crossbar and Harry Kane missed a gilt-edged chance from close range as Thomas Tuchel’s side were forced to settle for a point ahead of facing Panama on Saturday.
Despite Ghana’s strong defensive display, and even some dependable performances at the back for England, Bellingham was surprisingly handed man of the match after he was substituted midway through the second half.
The Real Madrid star, 22, appeared less than thrilled while posing with the award – and later admitted it should have been handed to one of the Ghanaian stars.
He said: ‘I didn’t deserve it, to be honest. It probably should have gone to one of their lads who defended so well.’
Your browser does not support iframes.
Jude Bellingham says he ‘didn’t deserve’ to be awarded man of the match after England were held to a 0-0 draw against Ghana on Tuesday
I’m Craig Hope, Chief Football Reporter, and I’ve put together 12 questions to test your knowledge.
Which match saw an unlucky punter lose $1m? Which side fielded an XI composed entirely of players born outside their county? If you know these, you’ll have no trouble with the rest. Sign up to our World Cup newsletter to receive my quiz – and let me know how you did!
The result marked the fourth consecutive major tournament in which the Three Lions failed to win their second group stage match.
‘Second game fever isn’t it with England,’ Bellingham continued. ‘Win the first one and draw the second.
‘I think they played for a draw, which could have seen them go through. Fair play to them. They did a great job.’
Tuchel – and indeed his players – were full of praise for the Ghanaian defence post-match, who restricted the afternoon’s favourites to just three shots on target.
After a frustrating first half, Bellingham was accused of launching an X-rated tirade against Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz as the referee blew the whistle for half-time.
Bellingham was spotted rowing with the ex-Man United coach after putting in a late challenge on Ghanaian defender Jerome Opoku.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund man avoided a yellow, sparking a furious argument with Queiroz, who had to be held back by his staff on the touchline.
‘He had a bad reaction with some bad names,’ the Portuguese later told ITV of the exchange.
The draw kept England top of Group L ahead of their final match against Panama on Saturday.
England captain Harry Kane insisted the squad need to ‘stay positive’ heading into the clash in New Jersey.
He told the BBC: ‘It was one of those games against a difficult team to break down. Probably the last 15 minutes of both halves we were at our best.
‘It could have easily been a game where we came away with a win. In the end, we didn’t concede too many chances and they’ve got some good players. We wanted the win but we take the point.
England captain Harry Kane insisted the group need to ‘stay positive’ after drawing against a strong defensive side in Ghana
Join the discussion
Should Man of the Match ever go to a player from the team that didn’t win or dominate the game?
‘I was kind of man-marked by Partey for a lot of the game so didn’t have the space to drop deep and arrive late in the box. We had a lot of crosses but couldn’t get first contact. We got better as the game went along, but some games are like that. We’re playing against a good side who make it difficult.
‘We’re in a great position and we’re playing Panama next so hopefully we can finish with a win and finish top. We look forward to getting back out there in a few days.’
Have you paid attention to the action so far? Try our World Cup quiz HERE.
