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.

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.