| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Green | Goalkeeper | Norwich City |
| David James | Goalkeeper | Manchester City |
| Paul Robinson | Goalkeeper | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Wayne Bridge | Defender | Chelsea |
| Sol Campbell | Defender | Arsenal |
| Jamie Carragher | Defender | Liverpool |
| Ashley Cole | Defender | Arsenal |
| Rio Ferdinand | Defender | Manchester United |
| Gary Neville | Defender | Manchester United |
| John Terry | Defender | Chelsea |
| David Beckham | Defender | Real Madrid (Spain) |
| Michael Carrick | Midfielder | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Joe Cole | Midfielder | Chelsea |
| Stewart Downing | Midfielder | Middlesbrough |
| Steven Gerrard | Midfielder | Liverpool |
| Owen Hargreaves | Midfielder | Bayern Munich (Germany) |
| Jermaine Jenas | Midfielder | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Frank Lampard | Midfielder | Chelsea |
| Aaron Lennon | Midfielder | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Peter Crouch | Forward | Liverpool |
| Michael Owen | Forward | Newcastle United |
| Wayne Rooney | Forward | Manchester United |
| Theo Walcott | Forward | Arsenal |
| Head Coach: | Sven-Goran Eriksson | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Sven Goran Eriksson religiously sticks to a 4-4-2 formation, going with either two strikers playing side by side (Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney), or a lone frontman (Owen) with the other forward playing just behind him (Rooney). With Rooney's status up in the air, though, look for Peter Crouch to play next to Owen. England plays an attacking type of soccer, applying consistent pressure on its opponents with speed and power up the middle. With captain David Beckham at the helm, they are absolutely devastating in set-piece situations. Lacking a naturally left-footed presence on the left side of midfield, the left fullback (Ashley Cole) often makes overlapping runs down that flank to bolster the attack. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are two quality central midfielders, but are too similar in style and aren't comfortable when handed defensive duties. Joe Cole will support the attack by making runs down the left and then cut in towards the middle, while Beckham provides the forwards service with his pinpoint crosses from the right. Ideally, Owen needs the ball played low and a few feet in front of him so he can use his speed to burn defenders and then run on goal.
Probable starting lineup (4-4-2): (GK) Paul Robinson - (D) Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole - (M) David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole - (F) Michael Owen, Peter Crouch
Strengths:
All-around depth - England is filled with quality players. Many of its
top stars - including Frank Lampard, Stephen Gerrard, Wayne Rooney and John
Terry - are just reaching the peak of their careers and play regular first-team
soccer in England and in European club competitions. The aforementioned players
are all world-class talents, as are a host of other England players that make
up the starting lineup.
An easy group - England was blessed with being drawn into a relatively
easy group. Aside from Sweden, England should have no problem getting past
Paraguay and World Cup first timers Trinidad and Tobago. England is set up
to win the group, thus allowing them to avoid a potential matchup with Germany,
their bogey team, in the second round.
Defence - Unlike at recent World Cups, England's defence is solid.
Chelsea's John Terry has emerged as one of the best centre-backs in the world,
and he has plenty of support. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole and
Sol Campbell (Arsenal), and Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United) are all quality
defenders who provide England with stability at the back.
Weaknesses:
Tactical acumen - Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson made one tactical error after
another in the qualifiers and never settled on a starting formation - five
in midfield with one striker, four across the middle and a diamond-shaped
midfield were all tried by the Swede with inconclusive results. He's also
slow to make substitutions when the situation calls for it and is loyal (to
a fault) to players who underachieve.
The wings - England has serious problems on the flanks. Eriksson doesn't
have a legitimate left-sided midfielder, and he insists on playing David Beckham
on the right despite his patchy form for the national team in important tournaments.
Surely, Chelsea winger Shawn Wright Phillips (curiously left off the team)
would prove more effective on the right-hand side, but Sven seems blindly
committed to his captain.
The Beckham factor - He's the most famous athlete on the planet, but
David Beckham is hardly the game's best player. Terrible performances at the
last two World Cups and European championships have shown he's not the ideal
England captain. All too often he's invisible out there, and yet he continues
to start for England when the team has plenty more dangerous players to take
his place. Let's be honest here folks: Beck is a one-trick pony (free kicks
and cross the ball) and offers little more.
Players to watch:
Frank Lampard - One of the best players in the world. The Chelsea midfielder
is a solid two-way player, capable of breaking up attacks with his superb
tackling skills and serving as the driving force behind the English attack
with his penetrating runs. Lampard has it all: scoring ability, a solid work
ethic and excellent distribution of the ball. A gem of a player.
Wayne Rooney - Considered by many to be England's most important, and
dangerous, player. If he can't recover from his broken foot, it will be a
blow for England, as the Manchester United whiz kid is sublime with the ball
at his feet, burning defenders with his speed, drive, strength and dribbling.
He can play either as an outright striker or drop back behind the main forward
in a supporting role. Needs to watch his temper, though.
John Terry - A marvellous central defender, one of the best in the
world. Terry combines accurate tackling, intelligent defensive positioning
and solid man-marking skills. He's also known to go up-field and use his height
to score goals on corner kicks and set pieces. It'll be his job to anchor
the English defence.
Key injuries/squad omissions: Of course, the big question is whether or not forward Wayne Rooney will recover from a broken foot and play any kind of role for England. He's expected to miss all three of the first-round games and will need some time to get back into shape if he is eventually cleared to play, his last game was in April. Considering there's little chance he will be able to play, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson would be wise to name a replacement for Rooney, but the Swede foolishly seems intent on keeping the injured forward on the team. Eriksson made several questionable picks, but the selection of 17-year-old striker Theo Walcott, who has yet to play a single game in the Premiership, simply defies logic. Midfielder Aaron Lennon is another baffling choice, as is Calgary-born midfielder Owen Hargreaves and defender Wayne Bridge. The Swede also did not pick Chelsea winger Shawn Wright Phillips, a player who offers speed down the right side. Another notable absentee is defender Ledley King, who impressed for England at Euro 2004. Eriksson did select striker Peter Crouch, even though he's an inconsistent player who doesn't really belong on the team. The Swedish coach should have instead picked Jermain Defoe, Andrew Johnson or Darren Bent, the top-scoring Englishman in the Premiership this past season - Bent scored 18 goals, three times as many as Crouch. Forward Michael Owen missed most of the season with a broken foot and is just now getting back into game shape. Third-string goalkeeper Robert Green was originally named to the team but suffered a groin injury in a recent exhibition game. He has been replaced by Scott Carson.
Prognosis: As always, there are great expectations in England ahead of the World Cup. England edged Poland for first place in its qualifying group, but its record - eight wins in ten games - belies the fact the team struggled, as evidenced by their shocking loss to lowly Northern Ireland. One has to wonder how the team will compete with the enormous distractions surrounding coach Sven-Goran Eriksson: he recently criticized several players and announced he was stepping down as England manager after the World Cup. England also has to deal with the Wayne Rooney saga and whether or not he will even play. All that being said, the English squad is comprised of talented and hard-working players that have the ability to not only win Group B but also the World Cup. The team is coming together at the right time, which means anything less than a semifinal appearance would be a major disappointment.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: #10
1st round matches:
June 10 vs. Paraguay in Frankfurt
June 15 vs. Trinidad and Tobago in Nuremburg
June 20 vs. Sweden in Cologne
2006 qualification route: England finished in first place (25 points)
in Europe's Group 6 ahead of Poland (24 points).
Qualifying record: 10 games played, 8 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss
Goals for: 17 Goals against: 5
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Frank Lampard (5)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
Sept. 4, 2004 - Austria 2, England 2
Sept. 8, 2004 - Poland 1, England 2
Oct. 9, 2004 - England 2, Wales 0
Oct. 13, 2005 - Azerbaijan 0, England 1
March 26, 2005 - England 4, Northern Ireland 0
March 30, 2005 - England 2, Azerbaijan 0
Sept. 3, 2005 - Wales 0, England 1
Sept. 7, 2005 - Northern Ireland 1, England 0
Oct. 8, 2005 - England 1, Austria 0
Oct. 12, 2005 - England 2, Poland 1
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1905
Team nickname: Three Lions
All-time caps leader: Peter Shilton (125)
All-time leading scorer: Bobby Charlton (49 goals)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 11
All-time record: 50 games played, 22 wins, 15 draws, 13 losses
Goals for: 68 Goals against: 45
World Cup History:
1930 to 1938 - Did not enter
1950 - First round
1954 - Quarter-finals
1958 - First round
1962 - Quarter-finals
1966 - CHAMPIONS
1970 - Quarter-finals
1974 - Did not qualify
1978 - Did not qualify
1982 - Quarter-finals
1986 - Quarter-finals
1990 - Semifinals (4th place)
1994 - Did not qualify
1998 - Second round
2002 - Quarter-finals
Biggest victory: 3-0 vs. Poland and Paraguay in 1986 and 3-0 vs. Denmark
in 2002
Biggest defeat: 4-2 vs. Uruguay in 1954
Overall top scorer: Gary Lineker (10 goals)
Most appearances: Peter Shilton (17 matches)
Hosted the World Cup: 1966
Other Achievements:
Under-19 European Champions: 1948, 1963, 1964, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,
1980, 1993
Under-21 European Champions: 1982, 1984
Greatest Players:
Bobby Charlton: One of the seminal figures in English soccer, Charlton
was a key member of the England squad that won the epic 1966 World Cup in
Wembley Stadium. Charlton scored a record 49 goals in 106 appearances for
England and was voted European player of the year in 1966.
Bobby Moore: A legendary defender who made his pro debut at age 17. Moore captained England's 1966 World Cup squad to glory on home soil. He first suited up for England in 1962 and earned 108 caps before retiring from international competition in 1973.