Chelsea’s Mason Mount and West Ham’s Declan Rice praised Manchester United captain Harry Maguire for the England defender’s dominant performance against the United States.
After a magnificent 6-2 win against Iran earlier in the week, not even the most pessimistic England fan could have predicted the slump that followed on Friday night. There was a sharp drop in quality from their World Cup opener, as Gareth Southgate’s side failed to find that vital creative spark to take all three points.
Gregg Berhalter’s USA team seemed more likely to find the back of the net, as he tested Jordan Pickford numerous times and missed a handful of scoring chances.
England’s blushes were saved by Maguire as the United captain put in a very high quality performance. The 29-year-old was unbeatable in the air and formed a formidable partnership with Manchester City defender John Stones.
After the match, Mount was keen to emphasize how impressed he was with Maguire, praising his compatriot.
The Chelsea midfielder told ITV: “He was directing everywhere, putting his body on the line, that’s what we want to do. We’ve done it, there are question marks, defensively we’ve remained strong as a team.”
Rice agrees with Mount, adding, “I think they are [Maguire and Stones] two technically incredible footballers, both capable of controlling the game from behind. They can suck them up and get the ball out, again, great blocks, good headers, both were solid. It was also important to get a clean sheet.”
