World Cup Preview: England

In Group C with United States, Algeria and Slovenia

Appearances: 14 appearances (Champions in 1966)

Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 3): 8

Captain: Rio Ferdinand (Center Back)

Leading Scorer in Qualifying: Wayne Rooney - 9 goals (Striker)

Key Injuries: Ashley Cole (Left Back) - broken left ankle (Out till mid-May), Michael Owen (Striker) - hamstring injury (Out for World Cup), Wes Brown (Right Back) - foot injury (Out till May), Aaron Lennon (Midfield/Winger) - Groin injury (return unknown)

Key retirements since 2006: Jamie Carragher (Center Back)

Team Overview: At the moment, coach Fabio Capello and his English team are in a world of turmoil. Top defenders John Terry and Ashley Cole were both discovered to have had affairs. Terry was stripped of his captaincy while Cole, to go along with his broken ankle, will be divorcing his wife.

As a result of the Terry situation, reserve left back Wayne Bridge has refused his summons to join the team due to the fact that he cannot stand being in the same room as Terry. Terry had his affair with Bridge's ex-girlfriend. To top all of this off, a recent meeting of English coaches and players was secretly recorded. More on that story can be found here. Capello will have to get his team focused in the coming months to have a chance of succeeding in the World Cup.



On the field, the English team is very strong in the middle and up front, but recent injuries and issues off the field have decimated the backline.

If healthy, 39-year-old David James will be the starting goalkeeper. He did not play in the last World Cup as Paul Robinson started all of England's games. However, under Capello, James has regained his starting spot although he is as shaky as his fellow English goalkeepers. Capello may play James, but he will not have a whole lot of confidence in him. It doesn't help that James has also recently been bothered by nagging injuries.If he is not fit to play, Robert Green will most likely be the starter, although young upstart Joe Hart could be a surprise first-choice keeper.

The English backline is as big of a mess as you could find right now. The only healthy starter is Terry, and he is under fire for his off-field activities. Both sidebacks, Cole and Brown, have injuries at the moment and may struggle to get fit in time for the World Cup. Cole's backup is Wayne Bridge, but Bridge refuses to play for England as long as Terry is a part of the team.

Rio Ferdinand, the captain and other center back, has been dealing with back injuries for the past 18 months and he may not be fully fit during the World Cup. One of their most talented center backs is Ledley King, but he has debilitating knee problems that are so severe that he can only allow play one game a week.

Add all of this up and England may have to play the wildly inconsistent Glen Johnson at right back while inexperienced center backs Matthew Upson and Joleon Lescott may see more time than they expected. Capello will just have to have hope things work out in time for the World Cup.

The English midfield is as talented as any in the world but they struggle mightily in big tournaments. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the two big names of the group and a lot more will be expected of them at this World Cup. Both players are immensely talented but both disappear when the World Cup rolls around. At the 2006 World Cup, Gerrard could only manage two scores while Lampard while blanked throughout the entire tournament. Lampard managed not to register a single point despite playing every minute of five games. Both of them need to do better this time around. Things seem to be on the uptick as the two scored seven of England's 34 goals in qualifying. Stewart Downing and Michael Carrick are both valuable back-ups and will play well if they are needed.




The right wing position at the moment is up for grabs. A smorgasbord of players is in the running for ample time: Joe Cole, Aaron Lennon, Shaun-Wright Phillips, Theo Walcott, James Milner and David Beckham. All are talented players and it will be up to Capello to say who gets the most time. Beckham is on the bubble to make the squad at the moment so his name could be taken out of the running and Lennon is struggling to return from his groin injury. He recently suffered a setback and may not be fit in time for the World Cup. If he is healthy, Lennon is Capello's choice as his starter at right wing.

At the forward position, it's all about Wayne Rooney. More on him will come in a minute. The problem is that Capello has struggled to find a player to play beside Rooney. He has tried many players including: Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Peter Crouch. Heskey gained the most time but was not able to do much with it. Defoe and Cole are better as substitutes so both will probably make the team as such. The enigma of the group is Crouch. His latest start garnered wide praise after he scored twice after coming on as a substitute against Egypt. He works well under Capello's system so look for him to be the starter opposite Rooney come World Cup time.


Player to Watch: Wayne Rooney

The fortunes of England, as well as the weight of a nation, will rest on the shoulders of the 24-year-old superstar. The young man is one of the best players in the world and, this year, there may be no one playing better. He is a powerful player and is a bull with the ball, it is extremely difficult to steal it from him. He has great passing vision to go along with his world class shooting ability. He is also a force in the air and has scored many of his goals from headers. England needs to get him the ball early and often so that he can make his impact on the game.



Prediction: Loss to Brazil in the semifinals. Beats Germany for 3rd place.

The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.

Match Schedule