England’s Final World Cup Gamble
These have probably been the longest four days for the England squad. Subjected to a nonstop barrage of vitriol from the press and the public for their shambolic performances against Algeria and the USA, the Three Lions have just one more opportunity to save face – and it comes this evening.
The permutations for qualification to the knockout phase can get a bit complex depending on how the USA fares against Algeria. Basically, all you need to know is that minnows England need a win this evening against mighty Slovenia to guarantee they’ll go through.
Such a result may have seemed like a foregone conclusion six months ago. But that was before John Terry got caught cheating, Wayne Bridge quit the team, David Beckham hurt his foot, Rio Ferdinand hurt his knee, Robert Green forgot how to be a goalkeeper, and Wayne Rooney forgot how to play football.
It would be a stretch to say that all this scandal and outrage will manufacture a scintillating encounter for us tonight. (This is England , after all!) But there’s a good chance that the match will provide us with a few points of indignation to stew over for the next four years. We handicap some of the more likely events:
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