England in World Cup, 2014

It’s the biggest sporting event of them all and a tournament that brings a nation together.

The magic of the World Cup unites football fans from all over the country and brings out

supporters that haven’t watched a minute’s football in four years since the last tournament.

As the big kick off on June the 12th draws closer fans are getting ready, hanging their flags

from their windows,

placing their bets on who

will win and making plans

for where they will watch

England play on June 14th

against Italy.

There is a different feel to this World Cup though. England fans are usually full of

expectations and convinced they will win. They have previously boasted a team full of star

studded players who on paper had the potential to be crowned World Champions. The

golden era failed to deliver time and time again and the players who had achieved so much

with their clubs couldn’t make their mark for the national team.

Fans go into this tournament not expecting a lot from the team. If England progress past the

group stages it will be a bonus and any players who perform well will have surpassed

expectations. The usual hype isn’t there and the focus is on England’s new generation rather

than the needs of their celebrity players and the wags they bring with them.

The realism from the fans and no pressure from the media will lift a huge weight from the

shoulders of the England players. Could this be the factor that allows England to deliver

what the fans want? For this tournament it’s not about winning but to provide them with

passion, excitement and some truly memorable performances.

Players

The majority of the golden era has retired and there is a new breed of players in Roy

Hodgson’s squad. For many players it will be their first major international tournament and

a chance to make a name for them on the World stage.

For goalkeeper Joe Hart this is a chance to show how he has matured and learnt from a bad

start to the season. He was dropped by Man City after

making some terrible mistakes but has forced his way

back into Manuel Pellegrini’s team and put in some

commanding displays. Hart seems to be hitting form at

the right time and looks to have secured the number 1 shirt for Brazil.

Joe Hart looks like an obvious selection for Roy Hodgson but the full back positions are not

so straightforward as England have plenty of talent to choose from. Down the right Glen

Johnson has lots of experience for England and will go into the summer full of confidence

after Liverpool’s success in the league. However he faces competition from Tottenham’s

Kyle Walker. He put in some strong displays for England during the qualifying campaign and

if he can stay fit will be a major asset for Roy Hodgson.

For the first time in years the left back position is up for grabs. Ashley Cole has commanded

the slot for so long but is now nearing the end of his career and is out of favour with Jose

Mourinho at Chelsea. Leighton Baines has a earned himself a

lot of admirers and has looked World class for the past two

seasons. If he can put in the kind of performances he has for

Everton then he will be a threat to anybody. This season has

also seen the emergence of Luke Shaw. The 18 year old is a

product of the Southampton youth academy and his attacking style suits the modern game.

He may not be ready to start at this World Cup but is more than capable of doing a job for

England and would learn a lot from the experience.

For decades England have always had a host of quality centre backs at their disposal.

However Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Sol Campbell and Jamie Carragher have all hung up

their boots for England and options for Hodgson are now thin. Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill

have been the first choice during the qualifying campaign but they don’t inspire confidence

and when they face the likes of Suarez and Cavani you can’t help but think they will be

vulnerable. Cahill is part of a Chelsea defence that has the best record in England, however

it is inspired by John Terry and without a leader in defence Cahill isn’t the same player.

Jagielka is also in good form for Everton but has never been tested against any big European

teams and if England progress further in the tournament he won’t have the experience. You

can’t help that feel this is the one position where England could use some real quality.

The only remaining player from England’s golden era is

captain Steven Gerrard. He has had to adapt his game but

is still one of England’s only few World class players. He

has taken a new role for Liverpool as a defensive

midfielder and if he can protect his defence in the same way for England it would provide

much needed cover for the centre backs.

Alongside Gerrard in the midfield there are still places up for grabs. Gerrard’s Liverpool

team mate Jordan Henderson has emerged as a key player this season and is finally showing

why Liverpool paid £20 million for him. A club partnership has always worked well for

England and if Liverpool manages to win the title this season their winning mentality would

be a huge bonus for England. Whenever Alex Oxade Chamberlin has been called upon this

season he has put in a performance that gets the fans out of their seats. He provides that

extra spark in midfield that England haven’t had since Paul Gasgoine. I think if he was given

a chance in Brazil then England would have a secret gem that may just provide that bit of

quality when needed.

Another youngster that has been running the show for his club is Ross Barkley. The Everton

star first arrived on the scene in 2010 but was ruled out for a year with a broken leg. This

season he seems to be making up for lost time and has forced his way into the Roberto

Martinez’s first team.

Southampton has enjoyed a successful season in the Premier League and have a team that

includes an array of English talent. Adam Lallana has been in exceptional form and has

caught the eye of some of the top clubs. He is another player who is desperate to announce

himself on the World stage and in strong contention for a place in Hodgson’s team.

Jack Wilshire will be out to prove a point in Brazil. The highly rated player was tipped for

success a long time ago but a devastating injury has stunted his international career. Once

labelled as the saviour of English football the Arsenal man will be desperate to be included

in Hodgsons squad.

Another Liverpool player that will be going to Brazil

on a high is Daniel Sturridge. He has hit 23 goals so

far this season for Liverpool and his quality has

shone in the big games. This will be his first test on

the World stage but has so far answered any questions asked of him with goals. If Sturridge

can form a partnership with Wayne Rooney England will be lethal in attack. Rooney has had

his doubters this season but is still England’s best player. This could be an opportunity for

Rooney to prove he really is one of the Worlds best.

My England XI

Hart

Johnson Cahill Jagielka Baines

Gerrard

Barkley Oxade – Chamberlin

Lallana

Rooney Sturridge

England’s matches

Vs Italy, 14th June, Arena Amazonia, Manaus

The opening match of the campaign for England gives them the chance to get revenge for

defeat in Euro 2012. The Italians have won the competition four times and are usually

considered one of the favourites. However an ageing squad doesn’t make them a

formidable opponent as they usually are.

Mario Ballotelli will hope to score against some of his old

Man City team mates and Andre Pirlo will be the key player

for Italy. The Juventus star was sublime 2 years ago and if

he’s on form England will have to be wary of him.

Despite all the success over the year’s recent sloppiness in defence in the current team will

give England’s young side hope they can get a win in this one.

Out of 24 previous games, England has won 8 and Italy 9 so expect a close match.

Vs Uruguay, 19th June, Arena Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo

This will be the biggest test for England in the group stages. The Uruguayans will be used to

playing in the climate and England could struggle to keep

up. Luis Suarez has enjoyed an incredible year for Liver

pool and will want to show he is in the same class as

Ronaldo and Messi. It’s not just Suarez though as

Uruguay also have Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan who can cause problems for England.

England hasn’t beaten Uruguay away from home since 1969 so it’s a huge task for Rooney

and co to get a victory in this one. Uruguay is in excellent form coming into the tournament

and a victory over Argentina last year shows how dangerous they can be.

Vs Costa Rica, 24th June, Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte

If England is going to progress from their group then this is a game that they must win.

England has never faced the Central American nation so it will be a new venture for them.

However with the quality and experience in the squad

anything other than a win here would be a

disappointment.

Costa Rica is currently 34th in the FIFA rankings and Brazil 2014 will be their 4th World Cup

finals appearance. They only once made in past the group stages though in 1990 so in a

group where all the other teams have previously won the tournament it will be tough for

them.

PSV Eindhoven striker Bryan Ruiz is their spark upfront and England will need to be wary of

him. Its not a complete trip into the unknown for England though as Arsenal forward Joel

Campbell is an up and coming star for Costa Rica. Everton left back Bryan Oviedo is also an

important player for them but he is in a race to be fit after breaking his leg in January.

England chances

The draw for the group stages couldn’t be harder for England. Whatever team Hodgson

picks there will be a lack of experience in throughout the team and playing in South America

will only make it more difficult.

The opening match against Italy is vital to their chances. 4 years ago in South Africa England

went into the opening game full of expectation and then only managed to get a 1-1 draw

with USA. This put pressure on them, for the rest of the tournament. After narrowly

scraping their way out of the group were convincingly beaten by Germany in the last 16.

England needs to play to their strengths against Italy. If Hodgson isn’t afraid to experiment

and play the inform players they have a real chance of getting off to a great start and beat

the odds at BWIN, which are clearly against them . A win against Italy and Costa Rica would

be enough to see England qualify as runners up in the group. Uruguay are favourites to win

the group and it is unlikely England could finish above them. It’s a battle for second place

between England and Italy so it could be decided on June 14th.

Qualification from the group will see England face an opponent from group C that contains

Japan, Colombia, Greece and Ivory Coast. An in form England team would be favourites

against any of those sides and could progress to the quarter finals. It’s likely though that

they will face one of the favourites at this stage such as Brazil and it could be a step too far

for England.

Whatever stage England reach this summer what the fans really want from the team is

entertainment and for them to take some risks.

Four years ago England only scored 3 goals in 4

matches and provided the fans with some dire

performances. Expectations aren’t as high and

everybody knows this summer is a learning

experience for many of the young players. Hopefully these players can succeed where the

previous generation failed and provide the fans with some passion and performances that

make the whole country proud to be English.