England: Harry Maguire repaying Gareth Southgate trust

While England couldn't back up their spectacular display against Iran in their clash with the USA, claiming a point wasn't a bad result in the grand scheme of things.

A 0-0 draw in the third World Cup meeting between the teams was ultimately a decent outcome for England, in what was a captivating clash that was short on quality chances but high on tension.

"I knew it would be difficult for us after such a high (against Iran) to replicate that type of performance, so I'm really pleased with how the players have applied themselves," Gareth Southgate told ITV.

"Some of our quality in the final third could have been a little bit better, but we've shown great resilience to defend against an opponent that kept asking questions and we've just not been able to open them up with that really clear-cut chance.

"We didn't quite have that same zip but this is going to happen with tournament football. We're not going to roll through a tournament and sweep through everybody without having nights like that where you've got to show different qualities to get the result. Silver medal today was a point because it puts us in a really strong position in terms of qualification. If we can win our last game (against Wales on Tuesday) we win the group."

Mount at the heart of attacking promise

Despite not being at their free-flowing best and struggling to make headway in the final third consistently, there were still many promising takeaways to be extracted from the clash with the organised, disciplined and tough to play against U.S.

To start with, the movement of nominal number eights in Mason Mount and Jude Bellingham was a real source of positivity. Frequently attacking the spaces down the channels that were created when wingers Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling dropped deep and were followed by their respective markers, this avenue provided plenty of offensive impetus.

So awake to gaps opening up, Mount and Bellingham immediately got on their bike by peeling off the back shoulder of their nearby marker to rapidly exploit these zones, which was duly amplified by Harry Kane pinning the central defenders.

Even though they weren't able to score, they still generated plenty of threat with this strategic, well executed approach that put them in ideal locations to cut the ball back and fire crosses into the box versus an unbalanced American rearguard.

Indeed, the examples below serve as testament to how effectively they targeted these vacated areas, with England deserving credit for their preparation and shrewd mechanics.

The interactions between Mount and Sterling were another highlight, with the pair regularly performing rotations to pull apart their adversaries. Giving England some vital variety and causing dilemmas for opponents, there was much to admire about their dovetailing.

Allowing Mount to go 1v1 in wide areas and Sterling to receive in dangerous locations between the lines centrally, this, in combination with the aforementioned tactic, ensured defenders were often caught in two minds that led to the dynamic duo getting the separation they needed to wreak havoc on the ball or make calculated off the ball runs.

Additional aspects worth highlighting associated with England's wing play arose from how the fullbacks would rotate infield and how they'd form triangular shapes to facilitate third man combinations to bypass the U.S down the flanks.

Funnelling 74% of their attacks down the wing zones, 37% down each side, this was a clear avenue Southgate sought to explore.

Central defenders shine

Although there wasn't a plethora of standout individual displays from England, the exceptional efforts produced by John Stones and Harry Maguire especially in the heart of the defence was unquestionably crucial.

Distributing the ball coherently and showing their fine range of passing, both men were instrumental in build-up. Finding their targets over an array of distances, confident on the ball and remaining patient, they performed their roles in possession admirably even if England struggled to fire in the attacking half.

Their marauding dribbles upfield were a bonus as well, for they'd frequently take advantage of the underloaded US first line of pressure to embark on wicked forward carries. Not only did they quickly gain territory, but they also drew out opponents, which manufactured space ahead or opened up passing lanes to be utilised directly or via third-man combinations.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, their efforts were littered with upside, for they broke up play efficiently with precise tackles and interceptions, handled themselves with aplomb aerially, physically imposed themselves and were rarely beaten in their duels.

By the numbers, their combined 156 completed passes, 16 successful passes into the final third, 12 accurate long passes, 20 ball recoveries, 16 overall duels won, 14 interceptions, 11 clearances and eight aerial duels won punctuated their accomplished night at the office.

When speaking after the match, Southgate was rightfully full of praise for his outstanding stoppers, who were pivotal towards England keeping a clean sheet, injecting purpose into their possession game and quelling many threatening passages form Gregg Berhalter's men.

"Our two centre backs were absolutely outstanding on the ball. To play with such composure against that pressing was unbelievable," Southgate asserted.

He then added this on Maguire, who marked his 50th cap with an outstanding man of the match performance: "I'm delighted for him. He's been such an important player for us. We had no single doubt in him playing for us."

Currently still topping their group heading into their final match with Wales, England will be satisfied to have gotten through this contest unscathed against a menacing opponent with a point despite not operating anywhere their best.

Having enjoyed two completely contrasting displays, with their latest body of work sure to temper expectations among the fans, watching how they fare against Wales will be fascinating.

Seeing as England are desperate to top the group and Wales will be doing everything in their power to achieve a result, the stage is set perfectly for a battle royale next week, where England will be eager to get back to their scintillating best to flex their muscles again at the showpiece.

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