An immensely talented midfield, a strong defence. If Rooney recovers in time, and Owen hits top form, a second title awaits.
London: England’s optimism going into the 2006 World Cup has been tempered by the injury to their star striker Wayne Rooney, but a multi-talented defence and midfield makes them one of the tournament’s potential winners.
England’s Swedish coach Sven Goran Eriksson can call upon arguably the most talented midfield in the world with Real Madrid’s master-passer, the inspirational national captain David Beckham, Chelsea’s Frank Lampard, who is considered amongst the best three players in the world on current form, and Liverpool’s hardly less talented captain Steven Gerrard.
With Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and John Terry to choose from in central defence, and Gary Neville and Ashley Cole in defence, it would also be hard to find a better back four.
Upfront is the reliable but also injury-hit Michael Owen, now in his prime, but it was his strike partner Wayne Rooney that England were hoping would do the damage.
Instead Rooney is in a race against the clock for fitness after breaking bones in his foot.
However, the good news for England is that Rooney is recovering at a super fast speed and might in fact be fit for the first match against Paraguay on June 10.
Racked by injuries, Eriksson named uncapped teenagers Theo Walcott, 17, who hasn’t even played for Arsenal since his transfer in January 2006, and Spurs’ midfielder Aaron Lennon, 19 — both tipped for future greatness.
England’s dreams, however, may rest on the young shoulders of goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who has finally dislodged the error-prone David James.
Another potential banana skin is coach Eriksson’s relationship with the notorious English media and the fact that he is to quit his job after the World Cup finals come what may.
The smooth Swede has so far been hugely popular in the dressing room and Germany 2006 will be his third major finals.
At the last World Cup in Asia, a promising campaign deteriorated under the baking sun in Shizuoka where the Swedish manager had no answers to overcome Luiz Felipe Scolari’s ten-man Brazil, with a place in the last four at stake.
His tactics again came under scrutiny in Euro 2004 where, despite taking the lead the English crept back into a defensive shell and paid the penalty this time against Portugal in the quarters.
For the 2006 World Cup, England have drawn Sweden, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago in Group B.
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