England — Ghana

I-Gillette Stadium yabamba umoya imizuzu engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye — yabe isiwukhipha ingekho lutho. I-England 0–0 iGhana. Bhala phansi leyo scoreline, uyibuke, bese ubuka izinombolo ezingaphansi kwayo. Nansi iparadox ezohlala ihlupha lo mphumela: I-England ibe ne-possession engu-79%, amashothi angu-19, i-xG engu-1.28, namathuba amabili amakhulu okufanele ngabe iwasebenzisile. I-Ghana ibe ne-possession engu-21%, amashothi amabili, ne-xG engu-0.29. Izibalo zimemeza ukuthi i-England iwina. I-scoreboard ayivumelani nakancane. Asikhulume iqiniso ngalokho i-England ekwenze kabi. Amashothi angu-19, amathathu aqonde egolini — lokho kushintsha kusuka kumthamo kuya engozini kuyihlazo eNdebeni Yomhlaba. Amathuba amabili amakhulu aphuthelwe yiwona ahlabayo. Uma ubambelela iqembu ngaphakathi kwengxenye yalo imizuzu engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye, lezo zikhathi akuzona amabhonasi, ziyizibopho. Ukunemba kokudlula bekungu-93% omuhle kakhulu, amakhona ayisishiyagalolunye afika ahamba, kodwa ukuthinta okuyisinqumo akuzange kufike. Konke lokho kwakhiwa okuhle, futhi indlu ayizange yakhiwe. IGhana ifanele ukutuswa okukhulu — hhayi nje ngokusinda, kodwa nangesiyalo esidingekayo. Ama-foul angamashumi amabili nane asho indaba eyodwa; uJerome Opoku noThomas Partey, bobabili abalinganiswe ngo-7.93, basho indaba engcono. UParety uhlele ukuzivikela ngegunya langempela, kanti u-Opoku ubeyindonga ngemuva. Ithuba labo elilodwa elikhulu, abaliphuthele nalo, livele ekuhlaseleni — isikhumbuzo sokuthi iGhana ibizingela, hhayi nje ukucasha. Abadlali abaphambili be-England, uMarc Guéhi noDeclan Rice, bebengcono kakhulu — kuyahlekisa, uma kubhekwa ukuthi i-England ibingadingi ngisho nokuzivikela. Ikhadi eliphuzi likaRice ngomzuzu wama-41 belingadingekile. U-Iñaki Williams uthole ikhadi lakhe ngomzuzu wama-60 wabe eseshintshwa ngemuva kwemizuzu eyisithupha — ibhentshi laseGhana lifunda ingozi ngendlela efanele. I-xG gap yiyona ebanzi kakhulu engiyibonile phakathi komphumela ofanelekayo nomphumela wangempela kulo mqhudelwano. I-England ayizange ilahlekelwe — kodwa cishe ayizange iwufanele iphuzu, kanti iGhana cishe yebile elingenalo ilungelo lokulifuna ngokwezibalo. Yilokho okuhle, okuhlanyisayo okungalungile komdlalo. Ku-FootLegion, amagoli izwe lakho eliwashayayo aphila ingunaphakade — akekho owawathathayo. Manje, kuwe: ingabe lokhu bekuyikhono elikhulu lamasu avela eGhana, noma ukwehluleka kwesibindi okuvela e-England? Futhi ingabe uBellingham, oshintshelwe ngomzuzu wama-73, kufanele ngabe uqala umdlalo olandelayo?