The Heat Map lands into Tuesday with the second round of group fixtures drawing to an action-packed close, and the stakes could not be any higher for the old neighbours across the Irish Sea.

First up in Boston, it’s a heavyweight Group L showdown as England face Ghana. Having safely negotiated a chaotic 4-2 win over Croatia in their opener, the English media machine is already in full “it’s coming home” flight, much to the familiar, collective groan of everyone tuning in back home in Ireland. But this is a genuine top-of-the-table clash; Ghana ground out a gritty 1-0 win over Panama and possess exactly the kind of dynamic, powerful engine room that can make an afternoon highly uncomfortable for Thomas Tuchel’s side. The gossip from the English camp suggests Tuchel is tempted to rest a few fatigued stars, but if they underestimate the Black Stars’ tactical discipline in the Massachusetts heat, those shiny tournament ambitions will get messy very quickly.

Meanwhile, down in Houston, Portugal find themselves inside a proper pressure cooker against Uzbekistan. After blowing a lead to finish with a frustrating 1-1 draw against DR Congo, Roberto Martínez’s star-studded squad has been thoroughly scrutinised by their home press for looking completely toothless and sluggish in the Texas humidity. Uzbekistan are wounded animals after a 3-1 defeat to Colombia, meaning they have absolutely nothing to lose. Word from the Portuguese base is that the tactical blueprint is getting a major overhaul to inject some much-needed urgency into their passing. Will we see a certain CR7 in the starting line up? Anything less than a convincing three points here, and Portugal’s campaign will descend into total, unadulterated panic.

The groups are fracturing, the qualification charts are out, and the luxury of a second chance is officially gone.

Whatever happens on that pitch, The Heat Map won’t let you down.