Carlos Queiroz said Ghana blocked England on all fronts to earn a 0-0 draw at Gillette Stadium, crediting his players’ fighting spirit over tactics and slamming VAR for missing what he called a clear penalty and red card. The Portuguese said the performance proved football is more than possession. He also touched on VAR, Benjamin Asare, the team’s resilience, hunger and determination.  Ghana now have four points in Group L and face Croatia on June 28 in their final group match. A win would guarantee progression to the Round of 16. Here is what he said after the match at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

On the game

That was a tough game, no doubt. Very competitive, intense. Two different moments in the game, two different styles. The first 45 minutes was England playing. They expressed them football. We put in place our strategic plan. It was to block them and frustrate them since the first minute until the end of the first half, which we did when we finished the first half. I found and I realised that the English team was completely frustrated with no solutions. The usual solutions that they use to capitalise wins, we blocked them and we succeeded in all fronts.  Either in set-pieces, the diagonal long crosses, penetration in the wings, build-ups with penetration movements. We did it with our players. They did it with full concentration and determination. This showed that a football game is not only about tactics and techniques. It's about bravery, courage, determination, intelligence. First half was about that. They've been better than us in terms of football. We've been better than them in terms of fighting spirit and determination.

On second half urgency

Second half was a different story. We started to control the game better and better because the frustration kept going. No solutions for them. We created our opportunities. They also have a couple of opportunities open. We have our opportunities, including... By the way, I think it is the right opportunity because I'm not sure if VAR is still working in the World Cup. We still have VAR. It's working? I have some doubts about that because another penalty that they need to give to Ghana, a clear penalty against England. With our opportunity in the second half, I think at the end, different profiles, but we deserve the draw. The draw was a fair result for both teams. So now, four points. We have to keep going, looking for our qualification to the second round. That's what I have to say about this game.

On having less possession but claiming one point

Yeah, possession of the ball is not football. It's not only football. We don't play football only with possession of the ball. You play football with a great attitude, a positive mind, to defend when it's necessary, to attack when it's possible, when it's necessary, to play a game. The game is in front of you, with all the determination, something you saw. Yes, they had possession of the ball, but they had a team in front of them that all the players, at every moment, only had one thing on their minds, to hurt them, to find a way to get ahead and score a goal. And that's what we did. We've seen Champions League games with big teams, with 80% possession of the ball, and they don't win. That's the reality of modern football. The game is not only possession of the ball, it's not only technique, it's not only crossings, but also not only penetration, it's intelligence, it's strategic. I think that the tactical position of my team today, admitting that we are playing with a candidate, who is only one of the candidates to win the World Cup. There are several teams here, I don't come here to take a walk in the park, nor do I come here for the opposing teams, who are candidates to win the World Cup, to have fun at the expense of Ghana. No, they want to have fun, they have fun with other teams. We are here to fight for points, to try our goals and play what football is, which is to win points and move forward. (5:01) Don't count on me to pretend to be a clown on the pitch.

On celebration after full time whistle

The celebration is because we played against a team that is the candidate to win the World Cup and didn't lose because VAR was on vacation. He was on vacation during the second half. If VAR hadn't gone to have coffee, he would have scored the penalty and maybe we would have won the game.  Even more doubtful of the kind of counterattack by Prince which is a shock from the goalkeeper, who takes our forward from the ball and was clearly a red in the expulsion. Of course, there is no doubt about that.

On being in a difficult group as said by Thomas Tuchel

I totally agree with Thomas. Our group, if it is not the most tough group in the World Cup, it is on top of three. I agree with Thomas. Everything is open. Croatia, Panama, they have a wonderful teams and we don't know what will happen. The thing that I know, that's why the celebrations, I told you this and I don't hide this. First of all, the points, to collect points in this World Cup, you have to pay a high price. The points are very expensive. Probably because we are in the United States, and everything is expensive, but the wins and points are terribly expensive. When you get three points and one point, you have to celebrate because it was a lot of runs, a lot of sacrifices, a lot of commitment, a lot of work, a lot of suffering, a lot of emotion during the game. So, you have to celebrate. That's why we fight during 90 minutes. Again, one team that has a background of Premiership players, they have a wonderful and fantastic experience in that game.

They're ready to compete during all games. So, to go and last 90 minutes with full concentration and fight for every single ball, you have to celebrate, you have to praise the players and congratulate them for that.

On effort of the players

On top of that, we never sit without trying to score. We never sit back without losing the main goal that we have in our mind. Try to surprise the English team in the weak points that they have, but at least the weaknesses that we could explore. And we have our chances. Until the point that they're lucky. They're very lucky. Once again, VAR went for a coffee and it's natural. I would like them to also take my coffees once in a while. But it was a clear penalty. Clear penalty, red card. You have any doubts about that? You guys that you saw the game, have any doubts about that? Or it's only me that was in the game? So, at the end of the day, that's why I say it was a fair result. They played more time with the ball. We fight more, we fight better. We create our chances. They have their chances at the end. I think they are happy and I am happy also with the draw.  I'm sorry for my sarcasm, but if I say this kind of thing serious, they punish me. So, I hope you understand that I am joking.

On bad words from Jude Bellingham at half time

It was an incident, you saw. And in the middle of the emotional moment was just those things that are normal in football. He swears and that creates a little bit of more tension. But after that, it's just football. It's just teammates that we try to win the game. It was nothing special. It's just that emotional moment. At the moment, you have one word that is out of vocabulary. It could create a little bit of fire but immediately, as professionals, we cool down.

On sharing exactly what Jude said to the Ghana bench

No, it's just the normal things of football. You know, football cannot turn a saloon of dancing with tuxedos. This is something for brave people. We don't want to turn football into a ball of tuxedos. Dancing at a party is not part of football, not at all. It's not a show.

On Djed Spence not shaking the hand of Thomas Partey

Even the comments of Thomas, my comments from the English team, English boys, our players, we refuse to be part of people that try to bring dust and politics inside the game. We fight to keep the front lines sacred. It's difficult sometimes, but it happens. So we have to congratulate everybody that was in the game to leave politics and everything that is dirty outside the front lines.

On Benjamin Asare

Usually, I don't like to talk. Never, never. I avoid talking about individual players. But I think he deserves applauds. He was brilliant because he's in a specific position in the team and this is only due to the quality of the player, first of all, and the work that we did with all of them. So since the beginning, and my approach, it is work with all players and make them ready to perform. I know and I learned in this business that we can win a couple of games with 11 players, but we can never succeed if we don't have a team ready to fulfil all the obligations. And as you see today, he comes out, he performs. Other players also come and they did well. This is the most important thing.

We have 26 players ready to perform so, congratulations to them. And special, which is not easy when you play one game that demands 90 minutes of full concentration, resilience, fighting, determination. It was only due to one thing. When 11 men go inside one pitch and they share a common dream, things can happen and all my players, they play for each other. They don't play for the scoreboard. They don't play against the watch. They don't play against the history. They just play for each other, to the teammate that was side by side with them. And then they fight for each other. And when it was necessary to go forward, they knew they have a team behind them. That's why I was very pleased with them.

On Lawrence Ati-Zigi

We're not sure yet. Tomorrow, we have a training. I think the training tomorrow will be decisive for us to have a picture about the team. But I use this opportunity to say that the team dedicate not only this good point.

On being humble despite the vital point

We did not win nothing yet. We're just on our way to reach the main goal, which is to qualify the team for the second round of the World Cup. But we have to remind the fans, dedicate these efforts to the fans of Ghana.

On missing key players, Salisu, Djiku, Kudus

And especially I would like to remind everyone that we lost four players weeks before the World Cup, which is Salisu, Kudus, lost Zigi against Panama and Dziku, days before we started camping.  So, this effort that the team is doing, are dedicated to these four players, four starting members of the squad. And to rebuild in two weeks, since I took the team, I had 14 training sessions with them. To do it in 14 training sessions has been amazing. The dedication and the commitment of the players are brilliant. A unique experience in my life.

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