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14 June 16:00 Uruguay Costa Rica
14 June 19:00 England Italy
19 June 16:00 Uruguay England
20 June 13:00 Costa Rica Italy
24 June 13:00 Italy Uruguay
24 June 13:00 Costa Rica England

* All Times EST

We got this, England.

The fact that this seems to be the first World Cup where England has no expectations worries me. Italy has trouble against South American teams. Still, I pick Italia and Uruguay to advance

I know this may souns weird, but of all the teams in the group, i think England have the most talent.

No_20 wrote:I know this may souns weird, but of all the teams in the group, i think England have the most talent.

uh .... premier league bias?

No_20 wrote:I know this may souns weird, but of all the teams in the group, i think England have the most talent.

Argentina has the most talent in the tournament but will not even be able to make semi final.

Talent is very important but not everything.

Talent has never been England's problem, and I agree that the team is super talented. We just collapse on the big occasions when it actually matters.

I'd like to be proven wrong but I've no reason to believe it will be any different this time around.

Uruguay tops this. Italy 2nd imo. Sorry England.

There's been far more talented England squads. Italy has much more talent than this England team. Uruguay might also

I have tickets for CRC X England game...

Hopefully, will be a great game...

this looks like the most competitive group (imo)
*
i wonder if there will be a "gentleman's" agreement between Uruguay Costa Rica
could play for a tie
so they dont hurt each others chances of advancing

i know, too much conspiracy theory

Cruzeirao wrote:I have tickets for CRC X England game...

Hopefully, will be a great game...

I have tickets for Uruguay vs Costa Rica

Baphomet wrote:Talent has never been England's problem, and I agree that the team is super talented. We just collapse on the big occasions when it actually matters.

I'd like to be proven wrong but I've no reason to believe it will be any different this time around.

I think this is a myth the english tell themselves. Rooney is your only top talent who'd start for real contenders like Germany, Spain and Brazil.

Nowadays? You're right, none of our players with the exception of Rooney would make those squads. I didn't mean to make it seem like we were on that kind of level now, but I still think there's plenty of talent in this current England crop.

However, you don't think prime Gerrard/Lampard/Terry etc. would've made those teams? I don't think it's a myth that we've had some really solid squads from top to bottom over the years, particularly in the late 90s/early 00s, when to be honest Germany and Spain weren't even all that good themselves.

Germany and Spain clearly weren't the top class sides in lamps/Gerard/scholes/terry/cole's hey day, and yes back then you had more top talents, but I still always felt in those days people overestimated just how talent they were relative to Brazil, France or Italy in those days.

And honestly even with Germany in their down period those miss would've had a hard time breaking the German 11 because back then we were commited to the 4-4-2 and Ballack-Frings just worked so perfectly as Michael Ballack's international performances simply smoke the enligsh boys's and Frings was a better holder than all except maybe carrick at his very peak, as Frings had slowed down a bit by then.

Terry and Cole would've walked right into our side tho.

Point being those talents didn't mesh and that exacerbated the problem, but it has been used to hide the fact that the "golden generation" actually weren't as talented as the giants of their day, whether they meshed or not.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/FOXSportsNews/status/465604116647907328[/tweet]

Best and most dependable English player of his generation, but right move to go with Baines and Shaw.

Correct decision, was hoping he would've ended it on a high note. Oh well

Uruguay dominates the group. Best forward combo in the tournament with one of the dirtiest, hardest working, physically engaged defenses in the tournament. Just play defense, link fast to Suarez/Cavani and go. Same strategy that took them to the semifinals last WC, just now they have more passing quality in the midfield.

Italy is always Italy.

England was always unlucky. What could've been the greatest striking duos in modern soccer, Owen and Rooney, were plagued by injuries in 2012, when they actually had a great team. I don't love Lampard for England. Never been a fit next to Gerrard - the clearly better player - on a 442.

Be interested to see your starting XIs.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Fraser Forster (Celtic).

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United).

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).

Attackers: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United).

Standby: John Ruddy (Norwich City), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC).