England took on the United States of America at the Al Bayt Stadium on Friday evening, in a game that was expected to be an explosive watch. 

Gareth Southgate's side came into their second group-stage game on a high, thrashing Iran by 6 goals to 2. Bukayo Saka started the tournament particularly brightly, bagging himself two goals in his first World Cup appearance. 

The United States was held to a 1-1 draw against Wales in their first group game, with Timothy Weah scoring 10 minutes before half-time. 

England appeared favourites in this match-up, but an underwhelming performance from attacking players meant the game finished goalless. 

But, we have learned a handful of things from the affair...

  • England must play a more attacking team

Understanding that picking the same starting 11 that put 6 goals past Iran is unnegotiable, and when play becomes lacklustre, attackers must be utilised. England has one of the best teams in the tournament, with players such as Jack Grealish and Phil Foden taking seats on the bench. 

Southgate replaced Jude Bellingham with veteran Jordan Henderson in the 69th minute, a decision that, while still 0-0, could be considered a negative one. 

Mason Mount appeared to struggle throughout the game, with fans begging Southgate to replace the Chelsea man with Foden, as an injection of attacking threat; as seen when Grealish made his appearance for the Three Lions. 

 

England captain Harry Kane currently has 3 goals in his last 10 appearances for his country - a scary statistic for a striker of his calibre. 

This, of course, stems from a variety of places. Kane is known to be an attacker that likes to pick the ball up from deeper positions. Often, when retrieving the ball from these areas, he is unable to utilise another attacking option. 

Raheem Sterling enjoyed the Iran game, bagging a goal himself - but was a hidden player against the USA. Similar to Saka, who did not reach the standards he set in England's first game.  

Pairing Kane in an attacking pair with Callum Wilson is an option for Southgate, with Wilson experiencing fantastic club form pre-World Cup. A natural goalscorer, keeping Wilson in an attacking position will allow Kane to drop deep and play as he would like to. The only potential issue is Wilson's lack of international experience, but with Wales left to play, he may not get a better opportunity for the duration of the tournament. 

  • Solid centre-back partnership

Although criticism towards Harry Maguire has been rife for a couple of seasons, he has been a defensive force for his country. Arguably, Maguire and centre-back partner John Stones were England's best players against the Americans. 

The two Manchester-based players saw more of the ball than they would have ideally liked to, spending a fair amount of the game passing between each other.

England are well-known for their possessional tactics, and tend to play the ball between the back-line, which is not a new idea for the defence. However, with poor performances from the full-backs, Stones and Maguire had to make better decisions when on the ball - tending to be a pass to each other. 

Both Stones and Maguire managed to keep a clean sheet and diffuse the threat that Player of the Match Christian Pulisic brought. Maguire continuously defended the aerial threat from the USA, heading the ball away from danger on multiple occasions. 

Despite the attackers struggling to put the game to bed, England fans can take solstice in the great form their centre-backs are currently in.