CBC Sports World Cup 2006

ENGLAND'S WORLD CUP CHANCES

Can England end 40 years of misery and finally lift its second World Cup?

Chris Harris is a senior writer with CBC Sports Online and is a big England fan who thinks the soccer world revolves around David Beckham. John Molinaro is the editor of Sports Online's World Cup website, and he believes England and Becks are overrated.

Chris and John exchanged a flurry of e-mails after the England-Sweden game, debating the World Cup chances of Beckham and his cohorts.

From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
So, Chris. Your guys lucked out again, eh? It looked like England was finally going to beat Sweden but then they let the Swedes back in the game with some horrible defending in the final minutes of the game. England is too inconsistent, and that will be its downfall. You can't win the World Cup without playing 90 minutes of solid soccer, something the Three Lions have yet to do in Germany.
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
Lucked out? More like unlucky not to get the win they deserved. Look, there's no getting around it. That was a piece of atrocious defending by Sol Campbell and company on Larsson's tying goal. But England came in only needing a draw with Sweden and they delivered.

John, allow me to lay out the facts. England went unbeaten in their first three games, won their group, avoided Germany, and now plays Ecuador in the round-of-16. A few weeks ago this was a dream scenario. Now it's real.

All this hand-wringing going on in the English press reminds me of what we do over here with Canadian hockey. Winning isn't good enough - you have to look good doing it. But back to this "inconsistency" you speak of. Explain to me why you're so down on England?
From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
I'll be glad to explain it to you. England only played up to its ability in the first half of their opening match, coasted the rest of the game and in the end needed an own-goal to defeat Paraguay. They couldn't break down Trinidad and Tobago until the final ten minutes of the game and if not for John Terry's goal-line clearance just before halftime, it could have been a different result entirely. England looked very impressive in the first half against the Swedes, but then were totally dominated in the final 45 minutes.

Don't be fooled by England's unbeaten record. They haven't played a full 90 minutes of quality soccer, their forwards have looked out of sorts and now they have to deal with the loss of Michael Owen. Where are the goals going to come from now? You can only rely on goal-scoring from your midfielders for only so long. England might be able to beat Ecuador but do you really think they have any chance of going on a long run in the tournament?
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
Can't resist. I need to quickly shoot back at your assessment of England's group matches. Let's just say Mr. Beckham had a thing or two to do with that own-goal vs. Paraguay and full credit to Trinidad for a gutsy defensive effort. But the Sweden game truly showed flashes of what England can do in this tournament. Forget the end result. At their best, they looked scary good. Have they put together a full quality 90 minutes? Maybe not. But how many teams have really hit full stride? Allow me to use another Olympic hockey analogy. Who cares how Canada looks when they play Latvia or Kazakhstan in group play, just as long as they step it up come knockout time. I'm confident England will shine when it matters most. We still haven't seen the best from much of their best players.

Owen is a loss, no doubt. But the midfield still has a wealth of goal-scoring ability in Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, and yes, even your man Becks can bulge the twine. Wayne Rooney should pick things up as he gains more match time and Peter Crouch, bless him, may not look like a traditional striker, but he isn't as brutal as you think. Mix in an organized defence and a skilled keeper in Paul Robinson, and England is a quality team capable of going all the way. Just ask the bookies.
From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
Not if it plays like it did in the first round. I'll keep saying it, you have to play 90 minutes to win games. You can get away with doing that against the likes of Paraguay and Trinidad, but not in the knockout stages.

As for goal scoring, I think England will struggle. True, guys like Cole and Gerrard and Lampard can score, but you need your strikers to come good and find the back of the net, as well. I just don't see who's going to lead the way offensively. Owen is out, Rooney is still not 100 per cent fit, 17-year-old Theo Walcott hasn't played a single minute of Premiership soccer and Crouch is like Bambi on ice. I wonder if Sven is cursing his decision not to bring Darren Bent, the top scoring Englishman in the Premiership this past season, to Germany. I just don't see how your guys are going to make it beyond the quarter-finals.
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
Here's a point we can agree on. Like many England supporters, I would've preferred to see Sven take Bent or even Tottenham's Jermain Defoe over Crouch. But let's give big Crouchy some credit. He looked strong during the run-up to the World Cup, silly robot dancing aside. But back to Sven for a second. He obviously picked Crouch and Walcott for a reason. It's a big gamble, but he could come out looking like a genius.

Now for a little role-playing, if you will. Let's pretend you're Sven ('cmon, John, work with me here). Do you stick with England's regular 4-4-2 formation? There have been some appeals from English fans and media for Sven to make a tactical switch to draw on the strength of his attacking midfield depth. Maybe take a play out of the Chelsea handbook. What's your take?
From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
I think he should stick with the 4-4-2 formation. The last thing England needs is another player taking up space in what is a crowded midfield. A 4-5-1 setup wouldn't make sense. I do think, however, he should go to a diamond formation in midfield, with Gerrard in front of the defence and Lampard playing further up the field in support of the two strikers.

The other change I would make - and I know that you don't want to hear this, Chris - is replace Beckham with Aaron Lennon on the right side. Save for a good first half against Paraguay, Beckham has been like Captain Invisible in Germany. He's contributed little and he goes long stretches of the game where he's not even heard from. I'll keep saying this to the day I die: England will never win the World Cup with Beckham as their captain and in the starting lineup. He's a floater and a one-trick pony. Stick to selling perfume, buddy.
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
John, as a friend, I must say I'm very concerned. Watching all this non-stop soccer is messin' with your head. How else to explain your Lennon-Beckham comment. Really? You're joking, right?

Beckham is the heart and soul of Team England. He's a highly respected big-game player who shines in the crunch. Floater? One-trick pony? How do you figure? I also beg to differ that he's been invisible so far. In fact, let me quote your man of the match write-up from the Paraguay game. You called his play, and I quote: "Truly inspirational. The English captain's dangerous free kicks caused major problems for the Paraguayan defence. He also created several scoring chances for his teammates with some deft touches of the ball."

Your words, not mine. As I suggested earlier, Beckham is one of the guys who hasn't hit his stride yet. Trust me - there's more magic in those boots still to be unleashed in Germany.
From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
Guy, that favourable review was for his performance in one half of soccer. Where's he been since the Paraguay game? He's gone missing!

"A highly respected big-game player who shines in the crunch." Now, that's funny!! Where was he against France and Portugal at Euro 2004 when he missed key penalty shots? Becks is anything but a big-time crunch player, and his disappearing act at this year's World Cup proves it.

He's hardly the heart and soul of the team, either. Gerrard, Lampard and Terry are true warriors who give everything they have on the field. They're constantly working and you can see them trying to make a difference. The same can't be said about Becks. Beckham is a mere passenger on the English boat with his lethargic play and if Sven wants to liven things up, he'd be well advised to dump Becks and replace him with Lennon who offers more pace. Lennon is also hungrier than Beckham, and should be given the chance to start.
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
You just HAD to bring up those missed penalties. Ouch. John, I completely disagree with your analysis. Beckham is no passenger. Does he receive more media and fan attention than his actual skill level? Even I, a big Becks booster, can admit he's uber-hyped. But he's still a valuable leader who's as good as they come in dead ball situations. I want that man taking free kicks and corners. He revealed some defensive weakness against Sweden, I'll give you that, but the best of Becks is still to come. Let's hold off on the Lennon experiment 'til Euro 2008.

Here's a prediction. I can see it now - Beckham is going to do something in Germany reminiscent of his heroic converted penalty kick against Argentina in 2002. A great moment for Becks and for England. Maybe it'll come versus Ecuador.

Here's a (somewhat loaded) question. You say England has all these deficiencies, but surely you must expect them to get past Ecuador? How do you see that one going?
From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
Yeah, I think they'll get past Ecuador but England should not take a victory for granted. Ecuador has impressed me at the World Cup (aside from the game against Germany where they fielded a 'B' side) and has proven that it is an emerging South American power. England has to come out all guns firing and put Ecuador under pressure from the start to send a message to everybody else that they are for real. If they coast their way through the game, I could see Ecuador pulling out a 1-0 win.

But again, even if they get past Ecuador, I just don't see them getting past the quarter-finals. And England will have to wait another four years to try and win its second World Cup - uh, I mean its first World Cup, because we both know that the ball did not cross the goal-line in 1966 against West Germany.
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
Oh my. Right when I think we're all set to agree to disagree, you have to go whip out the big guns. All I'll say about your '66 non-goal comment is this - what was the ref's final call? That's right. Goal. You know my views on instant replay - it should be banished in all sports. Let the officials do their jobs and so what if human error gets in the way now and again. Also, I won't lose too much sleep on something that happened before I was born. And finally, for the record, it was in.

Back to more immediate matters ... I agree, you can't take any team for granted at this level and I don't think England will. Ecuador has been impressive and it certainly won't be a cakewalk for England, but I fully expect the Three Lions to get past this one.
From: John Molinaro
To: Chris Harris
Re: England's World Cup chances
I'm more than willing to live in the present but its England fans who keep trumping up the victory in 1966. England's entire reputation as one of soccer's world powers is directly linked back to that game, a game that will forever be shrouded in controversy. And, for the record, the goal was not in. Anybody who watches the replay from an objective point of view will tell you that Hurst's shot bounced down directly on - and not over the line. Sorry England fans, but it's time to stop living in that dream world of yours and finally admit it.

As for the future, I just can't see England getting past the quarter-final stage based on its current form, especially with Owen out and Crouch expected to lead the line. They'll get past Ecuador, but when things heat up and they are forced to beat a team the calibre of Portugal or the Netherlands or Argentina, England will fold under the pressure like the usually do. I'm guessing that you have a different take on the future of your beloved Three Lions.
From: Chris Harris
To: John Molinaro
Re: England's World Cup chances 
A quarter-final with Portugal or Argentina would certainly be tough, but England has proven in recent years that they can hang with that level of opponent. This time, I see them advancing to the semis, and depending on the matchups from then out, they could go all the way. I'm not pulling a Joe Namath here, but I think this England team, more than any in recent history, has championship stuff. That 90 minutes of quality soccer you've been looking for from them is on its way when it matters most.

A completely unbiased opinion, of course.