England drew their first match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against USA, and now face a must-win situation when they take on Algeria later today. iSporter Akshay Iyer reviews the game.
Captain Steven Gerrard got England's campaign off to a dream start when he scored inside the first 10 minutes against USA, but a Robert Green howler allowed the US to square the match.
Despite this blunder, Green is expected to retain his spot in the starting XI as it is unlikely that England manager Fabio Capello would want to drop his first-choice goalkeeper. There is good news for England in that midfielder Gareth Barry has recovered from the ankle ligament injury he sustained six weeks ago and is more than likely to start against Algeria. Barry's presence in the midfield would also allow Gerrard and Frank Lampard to make attacking runs and support Wayne Rooney up front. An injury to Ledley King means Jamie Carragher is likely to start in the playing XI, while Jermain Defoe may replace Emile Heskey in the forward line.
England has enough quality and pace in its forward line to cause the Algerian defence and midfield plenty of worry, but it is the lack of speed in its own defence that could cause the Three Lions some concerns, especially against Algeria's midfielder Karim Ziani. Chelsea's pair of Ashley Cole and John Terry will be expected to lead England's defence line in today's match.
Rooney will also be hungry for goals as he hasn't scored in his last six internationals, and the Manchester United star will be itching to find the back of the net against Algeria.
This is the first ever match at any level between the two countries, but that shouldn't prevent England from cruising to an expected win. Anything less, and England would need a Herculean effort in their last group match against Slovenia to progress.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
