England

MATCH 7 – GROUP D

ENGLAND 1-2 ITALY

Goals-

ENG: Sturridge 37′;

ITA: Marchisio 35′, Balotelli 50′;

Venue : Arena Amazonia, Manaus

Referee : Bjorn Kuipers (Holland)

Days before this game began, many fans were curious of results that would come out from Italy vs England. Many had argued that Italy would win this game because Italy’s squad has more experiences in World Cup and their defense is just impeccable comparing to England’s. But I had a little bit of doubt for Italy when I heard Buffon would sit out from the game (twisted ankle during practice) because he spearheads The Azzurri defense. So, I had my own doubts if Sturridge and Rooney could disrupt the Italian defense. However, fans guessed it correctly that Italy will win this match and in fact they won 2-1 but not without breaking a sweat.

TEAM LINE-UPS

England: Hart; Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines; Gerrard, Henderson (Wilshere 73); Sterling, Rooney, Welbeck (Barkley 61), Sturridge (Lallana 79).

Italy: Sirigu; Darmian, Paletta, Barzagli, Chiellini; Verratti (Thiago Motta 57), Pirlo, De Rossi; Candreva (Parolo 79), Marchisio; Balotelli (Immobile 79).

This was the first game of the group stage for these two teams but however, both teams played as if they were in the World Cup finals already. England played in the Liverpool style (out of 11 starters, 5 were from Liverpool) while Italy played in manner of the chain with a strong emphasis on defense in order to suffocate England’s counterattacks. England’s manager, Roy Hodgson, used mixture of young stars and experienced veterans such as Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, and Leighton Baines to initiate full on attack against Italy’s defense. However, England failed to smile at the end at the final whistle. Here is our match review and player ratings.

THE MATCH

The first half began brightly, with Raheem Sterling seemingly hitting the top corner with a rasping 30-yard drive (the only suspicious thing being that neither Sterling nor any of his team-mates celebrated at all, I got off my seat!) replays soon showed the ball hitting the side netting. The tricky Liverpool man was a menace throughout most of the game and was an instrumental part in much of England’s best play. However, despite a good start, including a glorious chance for Daniel Sturridge (pretty unlucky for him) and a stinging shot from Jordan Henderson, there was still no breakthrough. Italy had chances of their own, with the impressive Antonio Candreva giving Hart an anxious moment with an audacious attempt, before a well-worked set piece, including a brilliant dummy by Andrea Pirlo, saw Claudio Marchisio shoot crisply into the bottom corner past the despairing dive of Joe Hart. Italy shed first blood.

Marchisio – Inch Perfect. England 0-1 Italy.

England did not dwell on this setback, and only a few minutes after Italy’s opener the impressive Sterling threaded a superb through-ball to Rooney, who then hit a brilliant cross into the path of Sturridge, who duly snapped up the opportunity. 1-1. Game on.

Sturridge – Bundling it in. England 1-1 Italy.

The enigmatic Mario Balotelli then saw his first chance of the match go begging when his chip over a helpless Hart was headed off the line by Phil Jagielka. A few minutes later, Marchisio’s ball over the top found Candreva, who cut inside and hit a snapshot that Hart did well to turn onto the post. Italy’s period of dominance finally paid off just after the interval, with the Balotelli getting on the scoresheet. After Candreva had turned Baines inside-out, he floated an inviting cross into the box, Balotelli then peeled off Gary Cahill at the back stick to power a header home.

Super Mario.
England 1-2 Italy.

To England’s credit, they kept pressing after this deflating moment. Steven Gerrard had a penalty appeal turned down, Rooney drove narrowly wide, and Leighton Baines had a curling free-kick well-saved by Italy’s stand-in goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu. Ross Barkley also made an impression in his cameo appearance, and his bold run almost resulted in a goal, but he was denied by Sirigu. The imperious Pirlo then almost added to Italy’s advantage late on, wafting his right-footed free-kick against the bar.

Man Of The Match : Antonio Candreva.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, it was performance with a lot of promise. It was exciting to see England unleash the shackles after previous tournaments dominated by conservative, stodgy football. However, the possession statistics show that England may continue to struggle in the years to come against teams with technically superior players, like Italy. The match did suggest though that England have the quality and attacking intent to win both of their remaining group games. One could say that England were simply outclassed in midfield and the humid and hot conditions in Manaus were certainly not favouring them.

GROUP D

Uruguay

Costa Rica

England

Italy

OUTLOOK

Yes, the big one! Group D is undoubtedly the one to watch. With 3 heavyweights pitted against each other, anything is possible! Uruguay, England and Italy are in for a real test. There are no clear favorites but one thing is for sure, Costa Rica are going to get whipped. Without much further ado, lets get straight into the action!

P.S. My predictions are at the end!

URUGUAY

Nickname : La Celeste (The Sky Blue)

FIFA Ranking : 7

After a dream run in the last World Cup where they finished 4th, Uruguay went on to win the Copa America in 2011. So, for a World Cup happening in South America, the continental champions will believe they can go all the way. Although they had an disappointing qualifying campaign where they had to wait for an intercontinental play off win to guarantee their spot in the World Cup, Uruguay will be a very difficult team to beat. Its obvious, just look at their strikers!

Manager : Oscar Tabarez

A veteran of the game, having begun management 34 years ago. With experience plenty of clubs in both South America and Uruguay, Tabarez will not find experience lacking. He has already managed Uruguay in World Cups twice before (1990 and 2010), the first of which they managed to reach the Round of 16 and the second of which, they memorably reached the semifinals.

Team & Tactics

The Uruguayan defence is headed by someone who for me, has to be in the team of the season. Diego Godin, has had the season of his life at Atletico Madrid. Rock solid at the back, powerful aerial presence and a potential goal threat during set pieces, Godin will be a key player in Uruguay’s success. He will be playing alongside veteran Lugano and Portugal based duo Pereira and Fucile should expect to make the start at fullback positions.

Godin – Tackling Tough

The Uruguayan midfield is their weakness. Lacking big names, the midfield will be under a lot of pressure especially since their group mates England and Italy have a pretty strong midfield. I expect La Liga winner Christian Rodriguez and Napoli’s Gargano and Southampton’s Gaston Ramirez to be the leaders from midfield.

I doubt many will disagree when I say, Uruguay is all about its strikers. The front pair of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani is about frightening as it can get. The former, coming off a multiple-award winning campaign in England, is one of the best in the business today. He is good with both feet, his head, his hand (Ask Ghana), his teeth (Ask Ivanovic) and pretty much every other part of his body (Ask his wife)! His counterpart, Cavani has one of the best work rates I’ve ever seen in a footballer. You’d find him fighting for the ball, covering in defence, everywhere! The key for Uruguay would be for these two to combine well. Veteran forward and last time’s hero and Golden Ball winner, Diego Forlan is also selected and although he may be well past his prime, he can offer his valuable experience when called upon in attack.

Suarez – Making defenders piss their shorts since forever!

Uruguay Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama), Rodrigo Munoz (Libertad)

Defenders: Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica), Diego Lugano (West Bromwich Albion), Diego Godin, Jose Maria Gimenez (both Atletico Madrid), Sebastian Coates (Liverpool), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Jorge Fucile (Porto)

Midfielders: Alvaro Gonzalez (Lazio), Alvaro Pereira (Sao Paulo), Walter Gargano (Parma), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Morelia), Diego Perez (Bologna), Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid), Gaston Ramirez (Southampton), Nicolas Lodeiro (Botafogo)

Forwards: Luis Suarez (Liverpool), Edinson Cavani (Paris St-Germain), Abel Hernandez (Palermo), Diego Forlan (Cerezo Osaka), Christian Stuani (Espanyol).

COSTA RICA

Nickname : Los Ticos

FIFA Ranking : 28

When the FIFA World Cup 2014 Group Stage Draw happened in December last year, no country would have felt more devastated that Costa Rica. Drawn against 3 heavyweights, nobody in their sane minds would expect Costa Rica to get even a single point, let alone qualify. But with everyone focusing on the 3-way battle in the group and assuming Costa Rica to be pushed aside brutally, they have absolutely nothing to lose. An upset from them can make Group D even more interesting (as if it isn’t already!).

Manager : Jorge Luis Pinto

The Colombian has a wealth of experience in management, especially in South America. Although the task ahead of him is a teeny bit difficult, he will know what to expect. Having managed a number of clubs and a couple of national teams, experience is at plenty.

Team

God is cruel. If the Draw wasn’t punishment enough for the Costa Ricans, they also lost two of their best players to injury. Striker Alvaro Saborio and defender Bryan Oviedo both miss out as Costa Rica are losing the last rays of hope. Fans will look to captain Bryan Ruiz, who has enjoyed impressive spells in the Premier League with Fulham, to steer their team’s charge from midfield. Also up front, they will have Arsenal youngster Joel Campbell, who is a promising talent and fans will hope he will justify Arsenal signing him.

Bryan Ruiz – The Last Hope

Costa Rica Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Keylor Navas (Levante), Patrick Pemberton (Alajuelense) Daniel Cambronero (Herediano)

Defenders: Johnny Acosta (Alajuelense), Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew), Michael Umana (Saprissa), Oscar Duarte (Bruges), Waylon Francis (Columbus Crew), Heiner Mora (Saprissa), Junior Diaz (Mainz 05), Christian Gamboa (Rosenborg), Roy Miller (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Celso Borges (AIK), Christian Bolanos (Copenhagen), Esteban Granados (Herediano), Michael Barrantes (Aalesund), Yeltsin Tejeda (Saprissa), Diego Calvo (Valerenga), Jose Miguel Cubero (Herediano)

Forwards: Bryan Ruiz (PSV Eindhoven, on loan from Fulham), Joel Campbell (Olympiakos, on loan from Arsenal), Randall Brenes (Cartagines), Marco Urena (FC Kuban Krasnodar).

ENGLAND

Nickname : The Three Lions

FIFA Ranking : 10

Squad filled with outstanding individual players – One of the best teams on paper – Huge Expectations – Scrape through the Group Stages – Lose in the early knockout stages (mostly on penalties) – Nationwide disappointment.

This is England’s World Cup story. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. It just goes to prove that it’s not individuals that win it, but the team. England as a team, well, they suck. I’m an England fan and it has been frustrating! This time out, they find themselves in arguably the toughest group they’ve ever been in. With a mountain of pressure and expectation on their shoulders, the young English squad is in for a real test. Let’s see how they’ve lined up and what to expect.

Manager : Roy Hodgson

No World Cup winning team in history has had a manager from a different country. In fact, none of the big teams ever appoint foreign managers. But none of that applies to England, apparently. The Three Lions have gone to the last 3 World Cups with a foreign guy at the helm – Swede Sven Goran Eriksson in 2002 and 2006 and Italian Fabio Capello (who doesn’t even speak English!) in 2010. Why is the English FA doing this? Do they not have faith in any of the English managers? Or were they desperately trying to put an end to that first statistic? Anyways, they finally seem to have come to their senses and after 16 years, England will be going to Brazil with an Englishman as the boss, namely Roy Hodgson. Having managed a total of 16 teams in 8 countries, Uncle Roy is a seasoned veteran of the game. Having guided Switzerland to the second round at the 1994 World Cup, Hodgson will know what to expect in a tournament of this scale. Go Roy!

Team & Tactics

Age is just a number. If a 17-year kid (Pele, 1958) can inspire a World Cup win, anything is possible. Which is why Hodgson has taken the pretty bold move of selecting a very young English squad for the trip to Brazil. 10 players in the 23-man squad are below 24, with the likes of Luke Shaw, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all showing us the amount of young talent in the Premier League. Each one coming off a great season, the kids will be in for a maturity check at the World Cup.

With the snub of veteran defender Ashley Cole, we can now say that an era has come to an end in the English defence. Stalwarts John Terry and Rio Ferdinand have all retired in recent times and thus, we see a new look at the back. At left back, Leighton Baines will play a key role in attack, bombarding down the flanks putting in those trademark crosses of his. His right side counterpart, Glen Johnson, will look to provide the same at the opposite wing with his runs into the middle. These fullbacks can afford to assist the attack because they are covered at the back with two solid center halves. Gary Cahill, who has emerged as one of the best defenders in the world, is being called the perfect heir to John Terry for both club and country. Along with him, stands Phil Jagielka who has a wealth of experience in the Premier League. Together, the pair will need to be at their very best to keep out the likes of Luis Suarez and Mario Balotelli. All in all, it looks like a solid back four.

Cahill – Rock Solid

The defence will be screened by captain and talisman Steven Gerrard, who at 34, has adapted brilliantly to a much deeper role at Liverpool. Long ball and dead ball speacialist, Gerrard will be the link between defence and attack. England fans just have to hope that he doesn’t ‘slip’ up!

Ahead of Gerrard and behind the two strikers, there are 3 positions to fill and a host of stars competing for them. None of the 9 players vying for these positions could be guaranteed a start. For me personally, I think it will be Jack Wilshere, Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling. Wilshere, although coming off a recent injury, has been impressive in the friendlies and is known for his quick feet and excellent ball control in central midfield. Adam Lallana has been the revelation of this Premier League season. His mazy runs and brilliant passing has been vital to Southampton’s rise this season. And teenager Raheem Sterling will complete the midfield after a scintilating season for Liverpool, especially in the second half of the campaign. With speedster Theo Walcott ruled out, Sterling will be the one providing the much required pace and creativity to the English attack. You’d wonder how someone so young could play with such maturity, but then this is a guy with 2 wives and 3 kids! Other players like youngsters Barkley and Oxlade-Chamberlain will also hope to impress Hodgson and crawl their way into the starting lineup.

Up front, will be the duo of Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge. The former, widely regarded as one of the best forwards in the game, has been a juicy target for critics with a string of below par performaces at national level, especially in the previous 2 World Cups. But then, which England player has ever had a good World Cup in recent years? Rooney still hasn’t opened his account and will look to silence all the critics that in Brazil. Daniel Sturridge is just coming off a brilliant season with Liverpool ending the season as second highest scorer behind own teammate and to-be opponent Luis Suarez. England will look to him to provide the finishing touches.

Their weakness?

That bloody left wing! For decades now, England has suffered dearly from being without a quality left sided winger. The age old lament of English fans “If only Ryan Giggs was English” has not quite vanished, but just taken a new form with Giggsy’s name replaced by a certain Gareth Bale. Many great players have found themselves shockingly deployed on the left wing. Seeing Paul Scholes (2002) and Steven Gerrard (2010) playing in the wings is heartbreaking for Premier League fans. Who will be the next victim? Rumours suggest Wayne Rooney might be the unfortunate soul, but I personally would assign Adam Lallana to the left side so that he cut inside too to allow Baines to charge and whip in a few crosses.

Gerrard & Rooney – Rare photo of England players smiling.

England Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson (both Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).

ITALY

Nickname : Azzurri (The Blues)

FIFA Ranking : 9

Four-time champions Italy head into Brazil knowing they have a chance to go level with the hosts for the most World Cup wins. After a horrible tournament in South Africa 2010 where they got knocked out in the group stages by the likes of Paraguay and Slovakia, the Azzuri have been on the rise since. They reached the final of Euro 2012 (where they got thrashed 4-0 by Spain though!) and had a strong qualifying campaign, being one of the first teams from Europe to qualify. Drawn into the ‘Group of Death’, they face a tough task ahead. Let’s see what they have to offer.

Manager : Cesare Prandelli

Appointed after 2006 World Cup winning coach, Marcelo Lippi was sacked after a dismal performance in South Africa 2010, Prandelli has gone on to revitalize the national team in a way which has started to make people believe that Italy can play attractive football again and not be ‘Defensive and Boring’. A 2nd place at the Euros and a 3rd place in the Confederations Cup are all signs of the magnificient work Prandelli has put in.

Team & Tactics

He’s still got it! Gianluigi Buffon, at 36, is still considered one of the best goalkeepers in the game. The Juventus stopper is in line to be only the 3rd player to be part of 5 World Cups, having made his debut in 1998. The Azzuri captain will need to be at his vintage best to progress from this group.

In front of him, lie familiar faces. Buffon’s clubmates Chiellini and Barzagli stand tall in the heart of the defence with youngsters Abate and De Sciglio on either side. Italy are also known to shift into the unconventional 3-defender formation with Bonucci also joining the centre backs thus completing a full Juventus backline.

After losing influential midfielder Ricardo Montolivo to injury a week ago in the friendly against Ireland (bloody drunk Irishmen!), Prandelli has had to rethink his midfield strategy. Daniele De Rossi should start in defensive midfield with Juventus midfielders Marchisio and the ever-so-elegant L’Architetto (The Architect), Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings in midfield. Pirlo at 35, remains Italy’s most influential player and is continuing to prove that age doesn’t matter. Other midfielders who will look to make the starting eleven will be PSG duo Motta and the new wonderkid, Marco Verratti, whose performances at club level have certainly caught an eye or two.

Balotelli – Even God doesn’t know what he’s thinking.

Up front will be the controversial Mario Balotelli, who is probably the most unpredictable players in the world today. One day, he may score a brilliant goal and win them the game and on another day, he may get in a fight and get sent off and lose the game for them. He is a risk and Prandelli knows it, but he is his own protege, and will attempt to tame the hothead. Along with Balotelli, Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile will look to start. His name can be pretty misleading as he is nothing but immobile. Getting into the right positions, he can get the Azzuri the goals they need, especially after a brilliant hat-trick in one of the warm up games. Completing the attack will be the youngster Insigne, who can take a run or two at the opposition with his speed and creativity. He is also a free kick specialist, but I feel sorry for the kid. With Pirlo there, he can forget about scoring off the dead ball.

Pirlo – The Godfather

Italy Squad In Full

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain), Mattia Perin (Genoa)

Defenders: Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Gabriel Paletta (Parma)

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain), Marco Parolo (Parma), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Mario Balotelli (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

GROUP PREDICTIONS

I predict England and Uruguay to qualify from the groups in that very order. The Italians have been poor in recent warm up games and with their best 2 players at 35 and 36, they will fall short. Costa Rica, well, I pity them.

From The Penalty Spot

Musings of simple fans of the Beautiful Game.

Menu

Widgets

Search

MATCH 22 – The English Nightmare

MATCH 7 – The Italian Job

GROUP D – The Group Of Death