2014 World Cup: We’ll go nuts for Brazil June 10, 2014 Call it a heady fusion of optimism and romanticism, or a toxic brew of wilful amnesia and false hope, but so many things about the prospect of this World Cup in Brazil make me impossibly excited. The sun-kissed setting is certainly high on the list. England aside, it’s the fantasy World Cup host. It may [...]
London boozers to watch World Cup goals by June 10, 2014 The Square Mile’s best spots for World Cup football: THE ANTHOLOGIST This cavernous venue is perfect for sipping cocktails while cheering on your team. It also does some decent food to keep you going through those late night matches. 58 Gresham Street, City, EC2V 7BB OLD BENGAL BAR If you want a touch of class [...]
How to survive a World Cup with England June 10, 2014 Every minute you are at a World Cup is the most special experience you can have as a professional footballer. You wake up in the morning and instantly appreciate it. It’s an absolute adrenaline rush. But being in the squad is only the first battle. Even if you were initially happy just to be in [...]
Timeline: England’s World Cup campaigns June 10, 2014 1950, BRAZIL Eliminated in group stage in first World Cup with 1-0 defeat to United States remaining one of all-time surprise World Cup results 1954, SWITZERLAND Victory over hosts took England to the quarter-finals where holders Uruguay proved too strong 1958, SWEDEN The tournament which saw Pele announce himself on the world stage, saw England [...]
Lions braced for Latin test June 10, 2014 Roy Hodgson’s team face tricky path to knockout stage ITALY THE FOUR-TIME winners were unsurprisingly unbeaten in qualifying, boasting goals throughout the team and a frightening front two of Mario Balotelli and Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile. Seeming ever-presents Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo are back to terrify England, though their focus this year [...]
Group exit looms, predict statisticians June 10, 2014 OPTIMISTIC England fans look away now: the Three Lions only have a four per cent chance of winning the World Cup this summer, according to number-crunching experts. Roy Hodgson’s men are most likely to exit the tournament at the group stage, while Wayne Rooney is the man set to be at the centre of all [...]
Now is the time for Argentina to deliver June 10, 2014 BRAZIL haven’t lost a competitive game on home soil since 1975 and are warm market leaders for the World Cup. Luis Felipe Scolari has consistently proved he is one of the best international managers in the game and he’ll be bidding to become the first man since Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo (1934 and 1938) to win [...]
Chile best of the outsiders with golden boot wide open June 10, 2014 GROUP B is arguably more competitive than even England’s so-called group of death with Spain, Chile and Holland all classy teams on their day. CHILE play a fearless game and I expect them to be gung-ho no matter who they are playing. Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal is one of the most complete players in the [...]
Holland look poor value to progress June 10, 2014 I’M NOT in the camp that believes Spain are finished as a world force. There were signs in the Confederations Cup that they were faltering, but a team that hasn’t conceded a goal in a knock-out game since 2006 shouldn’t be dismissed lightly. They’ll have to overcome the old stat that no European side has [...]
France a fantastique bet to be top European team June 10, 2014 World Cup winners in 1998, France were then unceremoniously dumped out of the group stages in 2002, only to reach the final in 2006, followed by another damp squib exit in 2010. If patterns are anything to go by, 2014 could be a good year for France. Even beyond meaningless coincidence, there is plenty to [...]