AL KHOR, Qatar — Loud jeers echoed around the stadium. England fans were not happy. The United States disappointed them again at the World Cup.
That’s three times when the teams have met in football’s biggest arena, with England still looking for their first win over the Americans after a 0-0 draw on Friday.
Coach Gareth Southgate reminded his players beforehand of this record: in 1950, the US team won 1-0, and in 2010 they drew 1-1. They didn’t seem to heed his warning and didn’t respond to Greg Berhalter’s words with a young and energetic team.
England beat Iran 6-2 in their opening game in Qatar to justify their status as one of the tournament favourites. But she could count herself lucky not to miss another USA match after Christian Pulisic’s first-half shot hit the crossbar and Weston McKinney fired over from eight yards.
England fans turned up at the Al-Bayt Stadium expecting to celebrate the win and advance to the knockout stages with a game to play.
“I want to put a smile on our fans’ faces at home, but we haven’t quite managed to achieve that,” said Southgate. “But people will react the way they react and I can’t let that affect how I feel about the team or how the team feels.
“The goal is to qualify and we have three games to do that.”
Disappointing England is one thing. But Berhalter’s task is to get to the knockout stage.
The draw set the USA against Iran on Tuesday for a place in the Round of 16. Iran beat Wales 2-0 earlier to sit second in Group B with three points, one more than the Americans.
“It sets up our first World Cup elimination game,” Berhalter said. “We will win, otherwise we will be kicked out of the World Cup. This will be a focus for us as we prepare the team for the next game.
“But most importantly, understanding the intensity that Iran is going to bring. They played a great game today. Playing with a ton of spirit, we’ll have to be ready for that if we want a chance to progress.”
Southgate, meanwhile, will try to lift his players. He described them as dejected after their jubilant victory over Iran.
And despite the booing, England still top the group with four points.
“It definitely wasn’t the best game,” said Harry Kane, who came close to scoring with a stoppage-time header. “Good spells with the ball but we didn’t quite have the end product.
“We had two or three opportunities and we didn’t waste them.”
KANE WAIT
Kane, the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner, is still looking for his first goal of the tournament.
MUSA MISS
Yunus Musa, who chose to represent the USA over England, showed what Southgate lacks by dominating the midfield.
