England – The All-Important First Game
This was meant to be published on a fantasy football blog I write for, but never made it, so I’m posting it here instead, just hours before time renders the article obsolete.
England’s hope at this World Cup might rest on players such as Barkley.
England’s World Cup campaign starts with a game against Italy in what has been dubbed the ‘group of death’. Over-used footballing clichés aside, the result of the first match is going to have a huge bearing on the rest of the tournament. So what do England need to do to get the most out of their opening game?
Given the heat and the conditions in which the match will be played in, I think it’s fair to say that neither team will want to over-extend themselves and risk injury and defeat in their first game. The Italians play a naturally cautious style of possession-based football, so England can’t expect them to come charging out of the blocks and leave themselves vulnerable at the back. Likewise, Roy Hodgson has been shown to adopt a tentative approach in his use of tactics, so it seems likely that England’s first game will be a cagey affair, with both teams looking to secure points in the remaining group-stage games and not conceding them early on.
Hodgson faces performing a delicate balancing act between being cautious and displaying a lack of ambition he could later regret. The opportunity to beat Italy is certainly there. The Azzurri haven’t won a match since September, recently drawing 1-1 with Luxemburg, and are notorious slow-starters when it comes to tournaments. If either team score early we’re likely to see long periods of protecting the lead rather than the applying of pressure. On the other hand if it’s goalless mid-way into the second half, both teams are likely to settle for a draw.
A well-drilled defence and a protective layer of midfielders is likely to be the key to keeping a clean-sheet in a cagey affair such as this. In fact, a repeat of England’s Euro 2012 performance against Italy will be just what the doctor ordered considering it’s likely to be the hardest game of the group, on paper at least. But maybe with a little less of the Andrea Pirlo passing masterclass, this time around.
I think it’s fair to say that both England and Italy will be looking at this opening match as a ‘must not lose’ scenario. A good result, draw or victory, will be an excellent confidence builder, especially given the pessimistic forecast that has foreshadowed England’s campaign before it’s even started. As for team selection, I can’t see it being much different to the one that started against Honduras, and if the game is flagging in the last third then the introduction of Raheem Sterling or Ross Barkley could certainly open the game up.
The key to a game like this at this stage of the tournament is to not do anything silly. Simple passing, retaining the ball, and not allowing Pirlo et al to dictate the terms in which the match is played. Remembering that Italy will be looking to see the England game through and then turn their attention to winning all three points against Costa Rica in their next match is important too. Factors like this should mean we see a delicate sparring match of a game, rather than any high-intensity attacking football. But sometimes boring is good.
