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Saturday June 14 - 4:00PM | ||
| vs | ITALY | ||
| FIFA RANKING 11 | FIFA RANKING 9 | ||
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| HOW THEY QUALIFIED |
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| ENGLAND England finished top of European Group H to reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ after securing victory on the final matchday against Poland, banishing the demons of four decades earlier when a draw against the same opponents saw the Three Lions miss out on the 1974 tournament. The road to Brazil 2014 was not as smooth as their campaign to reach South Africa, where they won nine of their ten matches on the way to the 2010 finals. Even though Roy Hodgson guided his side to an undefeated campaign, automatic qualification evaded England until the final match at Wembley. Two draws against closest rivals Ukraine, as well as stalemates in Warsaw and Podogorica, left England fans nervous until captain Steven Gerrard put the home match against Poland beyond doubt with a late goal to double his side's advantage and seal qualification. ITALY Often below par during qualifying before raising their game at final tournaments, Italy went about things differently for once by taking imperious control of Group B in the European Zone. Their task appeared potentially tricky when they were drawn alongside Denmark, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, but La Nazionale surged through unbeaten and booked their ticket to Brazil with time to spare, meaning they will head to the finals confident that their internal revolution has been a success. After all, Cesare Prandelli seems to have consignedcatenaccio to the past. "It's now obvious that you can't get results without playing attractive football," explained the coach when he first took over. Since then he has led the side to the UEFA EURO 2012 showpiece and a 14th consecutive FIFA World Cup™ finals berth – all while remaining faithful to an attacking style of play. |
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RECENT RESULTS |
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| ENGLAND | ITALY | ||
| 15/10/14 - ENGLAND 2-0 POLAND 11/10/13 - ENGLAND 4-1 MONTENEGRO 10/09/13 - UKRAINE 0-0 ENGLAND |
19/11/13 - ITALY 2-2 ARMENIA 15/11/13 -DENMARK 2-2 ITALY 11/10/13 - ITALY 2-1 CZECH REP |
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| PLAYERS TO WATCH | |||
| ENGLAND Wayne Rooney remains England’s greatest talent and his seven goals in six World Cup qualifying starts underlined his importance to Roy Hodgson's side. In midfield, Gerrard and Frank Lampard provide experience and creativity while young guns Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andros Townsend highlight the Three Lions' attacking flair for the future. Danny Welbeck came into his own during qualification, scoring four goals on the way to the finals, while Daniel Sturridge's emergence as one of the English Premier League's top forwards can only bolster Roy Hodgson's attacking options for Brazil. |
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| ITALY Captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is the only survivor from their 2006 triumph in Germany along with Andrea Pirlo, while a host of youngsters have broken into the team, such as central defender Andrea Ranocchia and midfielder Marco Verratti. Up front, the transition from old to new has been even more dramatic thanks to the emergence of Stephan El Shaarawy and Giuseppe Rossi's return to the fore. Also with a vital role to play are the maverick duo of Mario Balotelli and Pablo Osvaldo. |
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