Micah Richards has strongly criticized the England team for perceived complacency during their Round of 32 match against DR Congo, stating they appeared to be "expecting to win" after conceding an early goal. England trailed 1-0 at halftime after DR Congo's Brian Cipenga scored in the seventh minute.
Richards, a former England defender, described the defending leading up to the goal as "poor." He noted a lack of "organization or communication" from the Three Lions during the first half. "I don't know what they're trying to do. There's no press, no communication, no organisation," Richards stated. "It's really frustrating watching England play like this because they have got so much more to offer."
He added that the team seemed to believe victory was assured, contrasting their approach with DR Congo's willingness to take risks. "They turned up expecting to win the game. It's like they were expecting Ghana but Congo are willing to take risks. Everything is too easy."
Prior to Richards' comments, Wayne Rooney had also voiced criticism of England's performance, particularly their failure to dominate against an opponent ranked significantly lower in FIFA's World Rankings. England conceded the opening goal just seven minutes into the match in Atlanta when Cipenga's effort found the bottom corner past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
England pressed for an equalizer and had a penalty appeal for a handball involving Harry Kane denied, but could not find the net before the halftime whistle. The match was part of the tournament's knockout stage, with England facing a surprising deficit against the underdog African nation.