Adios España and England v Uruguay

Not many people could have foreseen that World Cup holders and two time Euro winners Spain would be crashing out after only two matches. The Spanish media have already began their inquests into the error-strew and dismal display from the players, many of whom were the cornerstone to the victories in 2010 and 2010.

 

Having kicked off the tournament with a battering from the Dutch, a victory against Chile was paramount, but this was not the case. Instead, they slumped to another poor performance in which lack of movement and no plan 'B' culminated in a 2-0 loss. The problem arose through too many mistakes in key positions for Spain. Normally reliable, Xabi Alonso, was at fault for the first goal, where a bad pass allowed Alexis Sanchez to capitalise on the lapse of concentration from the former Liverpool man in order to square the ball for Eduardo Vargas. His Real Madrid team mate, Iker Casillas also had a night to forget when he flapped at a Sanchez free kick and the ball went straight into the path of Charles Aranguiz, who buried it with a toe poke into the back of the net.

 

Diego Costa also failed to perform in his short tournament amid the jeers of the on-looking Brazilian crowd. Having failed to find the net as of yet, Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich will be hoping that this is not a sign of things to come at Chelsea next year. It may be put down to the injury that he received in the latter stages of the Liga BBVA that also hampered his Champions League Final when he limped off after only eight minutes. He didn't look match sharp against the Netherlands or Chile but the match against Australia could see him click, but it will be too little too late for the adopted Spaniard.

 

The failures of this tournament may not spell the end for Tiki-Taka, but the end for ferocious Xavi-Iniesta partnership as well as captain, Iker Casillas and numerous other star components of the winners from 2008, 2010 and 2012.With Xavi aged 34, it is nearly 100% certain that he will not feature at another international tournament in a Spanish jersey. Del Bosque benched him for the first time in a major tournament, a testament to the changes that were required following the drubbing by the Netherlands. Iniesta wasn't nearly as effective as he was in South Africa, neither was Torres or Xabi Alonso. As a football fan, it is sad to see the contingent that won multiple trophies leave he international scene on such a disappointing note, particularly as Del Bosque, or the next manager will be persuaded to build another world beating side with the youthful talent of Koke, Thiago and co. Out with the old and in with the new seems to be the general consensus in Spain at the moment.

 

With Spain's days in the World Cup numbered, England will be hoping to not follow in the footsteps of the holders as they take on Uruguay in just under 20 minutes. A loss for Roy's boys would spell disaster as they would go into the last game with minimal to play for. I predicted that England would be able to qualify behind Italy for the knockout rounds, and the match between Uruguay and Costa Rica would fill England with belief.

 

Defensively, Uruguay are incredibly weak. Their full backs are not great defenders and are also relatively slow. As said previously, pace on the wings is essential. Sterling and Welbeck will wreak havoc down the wings, and expect goals from the wide areas. With Wayne Rooney placed in his preferred central role behind the Sturridge it will make him very to be marked which will allow Sturridge space to shoot. As so adequatley demonstrated by Maxi Pereira, the Uruguayans can be easily wound up and frustrated. This leaves an important role for Steven Gerrard who has to dictate the flow of the game from his deeper position, similar to what Andrea Pirlo did against England on Saturday night.

 

England will need to offer a better defensive performance than the game against Italy. While ITV may claim that Luis Suarez may not be 'match fit' he still needs to be stopped. A man of his calibre can cause damage regardless if he is fully fit or not. As we have seen for Liverpool over the last season he is ruthless and can punish England if underestimated. His strike partner, Edison Cavani, also needs to be stopped. With Gerrard and Henderson protecting the front four, it should help nullify the effect of Suarez, it will allow Cahill and Jagielka to mark Cavani. For the whole 90 minutes, they need to track his runs of the shoulders of the defenders as he is an excellent goal scorer and poacher. 

  

We have already had one shock this week with the Spanish having only one more game in Brazil. England, on the other hand, must win if they have any dreams of qualifying for the next round, and it's one that they certainly can win. Shrewd midfield play from Liverpool pair, Henderson and Gerrard, could leave the Uruguayans with little attacking outlet, therefore giving the front four the initiative to grab the goals that can leak from this defence. 

3-1 England.

England Can Get Out Of Their Group

From the moment that the English nation realised that they were to be drawn in a group with world giants such as Uruguay, Italy and Costa Rica in the World Cup, it has been all negativity from English fans. Normally I am the first person to criticise and abuse England, but, even as a proud Northern Irish fan, I believe England have the ability to get out of their group.

Roy's Selection

It is not often when the England team goes into an international competition with little confidence. Of course, no one can argue that an easy task lies in wait of the Three Lions, but it is certainly one that they can rise to. In terms of the selection process, it was a good decision to omit Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick, simply because Cleverley is not good enough, and Carrick has had a poor season by his standards. With Sterling, Flanagan, Barkley and Shaw all selected, it appears that Hodgson is preparing with the future in mind. Much to many people's disagreement, Wayne Rooney will be a vital cog in the England wheel. Even when he hasn't been in the best form of his career, he has carried an ageing Manchester United squad all season, scored 19 goals in all competitions and possibly cushioned the blow for them. Drop Rooney at your peril as he will be the determining factor in whether England have a sustained tournament or not.

Italy

What better way for England to kick off their World Cup campaign against Italy. I firmly believe that this match will be the deciding factor in who tops the group. The Italians will give England a game, and one that must not be taken lightly. Italy have a fearsome attacking options in Torino pair Alessio Cerci and Ciro Immobile and also Mario Balotelli, as well as the orchestrator, Andrea Pirlo in the middle of the field. The Italians boast a solid defence, and England's forwards may find it difficult to break through. Even if they do get past the defence, Gianluigi Buffon also has to be beaten. 

Italy have the right balance between experience and youth, and they have some exciting youth prospects at that. With it being the opening game of each team's campaign, expect a tentative start from both sides. A loss for either team means that they will be on the back foot for the rest of the fixtures and victories against Uruguay and Costa Rica would be imperative. Do England have a chance in the game? Why of course they do! Anything can happen in a one off game, but it will be no easy feat.

Uruguay

England travel to Sao Paulo for their second game against Uruguay. On paper this game seems a lot harder than it actually is. Obviously Luis Suarez is Uruguay's main attacking outlet, but if they can neutralise his threat, then I fail to see any other player that can provide them with enough fire power to see off the English. In this match, defensive discipline will be key. As we know, Diego Forlan, along with Suarez are dead ball specialists and will punish any cheap free kicks conceded around the edge of the box. 

In attack, England have all the ingredients to unlock an average Uruguayan defence. From an English point of view, Hodgson needs to play a pacey player like Sturridge, Welbeck, Oxlade etc. up front in order to trouble this defence. Against the popular opinion, Wayne Rooney needs to start. His unpredictable movement can pull the defence apart, and his vision and passing ability help utilise the quicker players. 

Costa Rica

The final group game sees England face minnows Costa Rica. On paper it is a foregone conclusion, but as so often with England, games are not won on paper. If England head into this match with everything to play for, they must not play with a relaxed attitude because it will be their downfall. It is likely that Costa Rica will have nothing but pride to play for, which can benefit and hinder England's chances. They may throw the kitchen sink at it and play all out attacking football which will make them susceptible to the counter. What is more likely is that they will keep men behind the ball and look to frustrate England. Whether Wilshere, Rooney, Milner and co. will have the temperament to remain composed is worrying. Overall, I do think England will be able to surpass the challenge of Costa Rica but composure will be essential.

The conditions may play a massive part in the tournament. Manaus holds hot, muggy, tropical conditions and will test the players particularly in the latter stages of the game. With England playing Italy in Manaus, it will come down to a case of who has done the best preparation for the conditions. Uruguay will be better acclimatised to the environment in Brazil, so this may give them the upper hand. The real test will be later in the tournament if England get through. It would be testament to the players fitness and mental stamina, having completed a long and gruelling Barclays Premier League season if they were able to challenge in the later stages of the tournament.

England have the ability and talent within the squad to proceed in the tournament. Even though they have been completely written off by the fans and media, England will still feel pressure, as they aim to give the English fans something to celebrate. With a state of the art training compound, the conditioning staff will have the players in top condition and the warm-ups will help them acclimatise to the Brazilian environment. Only 9 days remain until England kick off their campaign, and nerves will certainly be increasing in England.