Let's get one thing straight from the off. England's goalless draw with Ghana at Wembley was not a classic. It was a turgid, rain soaked affair that w...
Let's get one thing straight from the off. England's goalless draw with Ghana at Wembley was not a classic. It was a turgid, rain soaked affair that will be remembered for precisely one flashpoint, and it had nothing to do with Thomas Tuchel's attacking patterns. The frustration among the home support is understandable; you do not pay good money to watch your side huff and puff against a disciplined Ghanaian low block. But the real talking point, the one that has split opinion in pubs from Islington to Accra, is whether the referee bottled a clear penalty call.The incident in question came midway through the second half. A corner kick, swung into the England box, saw a Ghanaian forward's shot deflect off an England defender's arm. It was not a flailing, unnatural position, but the arm was away from the body. In the modern game, that is often enough. GoalZaza's analysis of the slow motion replays suggests a case for the prosecution. The arm blocked a goal bound effort. If that had happened at the other end, would the England fans be calling for leniency Absolutely not.What made the decision more galling for the travelling support was the inconsistency. Earlier in the half, a similar incident in the Ghana box had been given. The referee had no hesitation pointing to the spot for a far softer handball. That is the rub, is it not Consistency. You cannot have one rule for the home side and another for the visitors. It leaves a sour taste. England got away with one, plain and simple. Tuchel's side, lacking any real creative spark in the final third, should consider themselves fortunate that the official decided to keep his whistle in his mouth.In the grand scheme of a friendly, it matters little. But for the narrative, for the feeling that the big nations get the rub of the green, this was a textbook example. Ghana will feel robbed. England fans will shrug and say it evened out. But any honest observer knows the truth. The Black Stars were denied a stonewall penalty. And that, in a game of fine margins, is the difference between a creditable draw and a famous victory. Squeaky bum time for the officials, but a quiet night for England's defenders who got away with murder.
