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England faced a challenging opening half against Ghana, but Wayne Rooney believes that Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham hold the key to turning the game around.

After a commanding victory over Croatia the previous week, expectations were high for England. However, Ghana have provided a much tougher test than many anticipated.

The first half was fragmented, with England dominating possession and creating more opportunities, yet lacking rhythm, flow, and real attacking threat from either side.

Ghana’s disciplined and compact defensive structure appeared to be effective, leaving the question of whether England could find a breakthrough in the second half.

England struggled to penetrate Ghana’s defensive lines, but Wayne Rooney believes that the answer lies with midfield duo Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

Speaking in the BBC studio, Rooney commented: “Early in the half, I thought Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham’s positions were crucial for England to break them down.

“If you look at the positions they’re taking now, they need to make those runs behind the defence. It’s so congested and difficult to play through — a 4-5-1 formation is really hard to break.

“With Harry Kane dropping deeper, we need Rice and Bellingham to make those forward runs. If they don’t, everything remains tight; you can’t find a pass, and it becomes very difficult to open them up. Credit to Ghana, they’re defending exceptionally well.”

England manager Thomas Tuchel may consider using his substitutes to inject more energy and creativity in the second half, much like he did against Croatia.

However, Rooney feels that a small adjustment in the approach of Rice and Bellingham could also make the difference.

He continued: “When Declan Rice threatens to run in behind and Jude Bellingham follows with his movement, it pulls the defensive line apart and creates openings.

“They’re already probing, but those positive runs can make a big difference. I imagine Tuchel is telling them to draw Ghana out of position to create more space around or inside the penalty area.”

In their previous World Cup 2026 outing, Tuchel reportedly urged his players to be more courageous and stick to his tactical plan.

One thing is certain — unless England find a way to adapt, they risk leaving Boston frustrated and empty-handed at full-time.