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The English are in Boston.
England’s second match of the World Cup lands the one-time cup winners in Foxboro for a Group L contest vs. Ghana. England can advance to the knockout round with a win after it opened with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Harry Kane scored twice in that first half and Jude Bellingham added the winner just two minutes into the second 45. Kane found a different level with Bayern Munich after finishing 2025-26 with 61 goals across all competitions with the German club. England’s potential return to the top, for the first time since 1966, starts with the striker.
“Last time we talked, I was saying that arguably Scotland-Morocco could be one of the best matches [of the tournament],” Rhode Island FC assistant coach Marcos Ugarte said. “I think this match even [tops] that one and for it to be at Gillette is super exciting.”
The Providence Journal’s Jacob Rousseau and Bill Koch have been at every match at Boston Stadium for the World Cup and we’ve teamed with Ugarte for our coverage. Ugarte, a Rhode Islander, is on call for pregame and postgame evaluations of the matches at Boston Stadium. Match start time between England and Ghana is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday in Foxboro.
“I don't expect it to be a lopsided affair at all,” Ugarte said. “I would predict for sure England to win, but I think it'll be a really entertaining match.
“[Antoine] Semenyo is a player that can beat anyone on the dribble, and he can make the difference. So, to have someone of Semenyo’s caliber on your team, he's going to be a threat no matter who he plays against.”
England won all eight World Cup qualifying matches without conceding a goal. The English are favored against Ghana, and a draw would be considered a win for the African side. It would also position Ghana to advance from Group L after it opened the tournament with a 1-0 win vs. Panama on Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time goal.
“Super athletic, physical, aggressive team, but with quality as well,” Ugarte said. “I predict England to certainly have more of the ball. But I expect Ghana to be really dangerous in some counter attacking moments and even in some moments where they're settled in possession. They certainly have enough to cause England trouble.”
Ghana needs to score first to bring England out of its form. Scotland couldn’t do that against Morocco, conceding a goal in the first two minutes of a 1-0 defeat last Friday at Boston Stadium. A draw, or an English defeat, begins with Ghana striking first.
“It’s a team that's youthful and full of energy,” Ugarte said. “Unbelievable team spirit, that isn't hard to tell, as you see videos of them dancing. Their legend, Asamoah Gyan, joined the party [after the win against Panama], so with Ghana it seems to be just a real excitement to be at this tournament.”
England, ranked fourth in the world, left Harry Maguire (Manchester United) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid) at home. Their reserves would compete with some teams in this tournament -- it might be the year where England finally wins something substantial.
“What makes [England] at the forefront with France and Argentina, to an extent, the Portugals, even Portugal had a disappointing first match, is their squad,” Ugarte said. “And their depth. I would actually only really say France rivals them in terms of their overall squad.”
Ugarte: This is an opportunity for England to already advance into the knockout round. So, I think Ghana, knowing that, will tactically set up where they'll be really tough to break down. England 2, Ghana 1.
Koch: If the opener against Croatia was any indication, this version of England won't hesitate to shift out of second gear. They were threatening going forward and benefit from a wealth of attacking options -- too many for Ghana to fully contain. England 3, Ghana 0.
Rousseau: England is too deep for even the top half of the world to contend against. Ghana’s chances of an upset dwindle with each hour before the match starts. England 3, Ghana 0.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Expert predictions for England vs. Ghana World Cup matchup
Continue reading...
England’s second match of the World Cup lands the one-time cup winners in Foxboro for a Group L contest vs. Ghana. England can advance to the knockout round with a win after it opened with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Harry Kane scored twice in that first half and Jude Bellingham added the winner just two minutes into the second 45. Kane found a different level with Bayern Munich after finishing 2025-26 with 61 goals across all competitions with the German club. England’s potential return to the top, for the first time since 1966, starts with the striker.
“Last time we talked, I was saying that arguably Scotland-Morocco could be one of the best matches [of the tournament],” Rhode Island FC assistant coach Marcos Ugarte said. “I think this match even [tops] that one and for it to be at Gillette is super exciting.”
The Providence Journal’s Jacob Rousseau and Bill Koch have been at every match at Boston Stadium for the World Cup and we’ve teamed with Ugarte for our coverage. Ugarte, a Rhode Islander, is on call for pregame and postgame evaluations of the matches at Boston Stadium. Match start time between England and Ghana is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday in Foxboro.
“I don't expect it to be a lopsided affair at all,” Ugarte said. “I would predict for sure England to win, but I think it'll be a really entertaining match.
“[Antoine] Semenyo is a player that can beat anyone on the dribble, and he can make the difference. So, to have someone of Semenyo’s caliber on your team, he's going to be a threat no matter who he plays against.”
England won all eight World Cup qualifying matches without conceding a goal. The English are favored against Ghana, and a draw would be considered a win for the African side. It would also position Ghana to advance from Group L after it opened the tournament with a 1-0 win vs. Panama on Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time goal.
“Super athletic, physical, aggressive team, but with quality as well,” Ugarte said. “I predict England to certainly have more of the ball. But I expect Ghana to be really dangerous in some counter attacking moments and even in some moments where they're settled in possession. They certainly have enough to cause England trouble.”
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Ghana needs to score first to bring England out of its form. Scotland couldn’t do that against Morocco, conceding a goal in the first two minutes of a 1-0 defeat last Friday at Boston Stadium. A draw, or an English defeat, begins with Ghana striking first.
“It’s a team that's youthful and full of energy,” Ugarte said. “Unbelievable team spirit, that isn't hard to tell, as you see videos of them dancing. Their legend, Asamoah Gyan, joined the party [after the win against Panama], so with Ghana it seems to be just a real excitement to be at this tournament.”
You must be registered for see images
England, ranked fourth in the world, left Harry Maguire (Manchester United) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid) at home. Their reserves would compete with some teams in this tournament -- it might be the year where England finally wins something substantial.
“What makes [England] at the forefront with France and Argentina, to an extent, the Portugals, even Portugal had a disappointing first match, is their squad,” Ugarte said. “And their depth. I would actually only really say France rivals them in terms of their overall squad.”
Predictions for England vs. Ghana
Ugarte: This is an opportunity for England to already advance into the knockout round. So, I think Ghana, knowing that, will tactically set up where they'll be really tough to break down. England 2, Ghana 1.
Koch: If the opener against Croatia was any indication, this version of England won't hesitate to shift out of second gear. They were threatening going forward and benefit from a wealth of attacking options -- too many for Ghana to fully contain. England 3, Ghana 0.
Rousseau: England is too deep for even the top half of the world to contend against. Ghana’s chances of an upset dwindle with each hour before the match starts. England 3, Ghana 0.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Expert predictions for England vs. Ghana World Cup matchup
Continue reading...
