England, Ecuador Game a Test For Nerves
June 25, 2006
England's players will know that they will have to sustain a 90-minute performance similar to their first half display against Sweden in their final Group B match if they are to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals of the World Cup at Ecuador's expense on Sunday.
After disappointing against Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago, Sven Goran Eriksson's team finally showed some cohesion in the first 45 minutes against the Swedes with some positive attacking and crisp passing. However, nerves and confusion set in after the restart and England were lucky to escape with the draw.
England's unnerving habit of falling apart after half-time will have to be curbed against South America's surprise outfit who have shown that they can hit tentative teams at pace and score important goals against shaky defenses. Captain David Beckham knows all about second-half collapses after suffering heartache against Brazil at the 2002 World Cup and Portugal in Euro 2004.
"There's no excuses this time," Beckham said. "In the past we've gone out of competitions at stages when we should have gone further. It's up to us now -- we're the ones who can progress as a team."
A new England line-up?
The team that aims to avoid a similar defeat against Ecuador in the first knock-out stage in Stuttgart is likely to be a different one to that which snatched a draw from the teeth of victory in Cologne last Tuesday.
Right back Gary Neville is still out with a calf injury and central defender Rio Ferdinand is still a doubt. Eriksson is expected to shunt Owen Hargreaves, who had a good game against Sweden in the holding midfield role, into the right back slot while Sol Campbell will deputize for Ferdinand. Jamie Carragher will be on the bench.
Michael Carrick is expected to sit in front of the back four as the holding player in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Joe Cole and David Beckham on the flanks and Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard in the center. Wayne Rooney is expected to play as a lone striker, meaning there is no starting place for Peter Crouch.
With Gerrard operating behind Rooney at the tip of a midfield diamond, Eriksson hopes the Liverpool captain will provide the extra firepower now lacking after the injury to Michael Owen. Carrick -- a cool headed playmaker -- will be deployed as a calming influence and distributor for a defense with a penchant for the wobbles.
Ecuador goes for the long-stretch
Meanwhile, Ecuador coach Luis Suarez insists that his team will not be intimidated by the prospect of tackling England. "What we have done is not all," Suarez said. "There is more to come. The World Cup has not ended for Ecuador."
"There is no reason for us to feel beaten before the match. If we are going to lose, let it be during the match, not before."
Ecuador looked impressive when beating Poland 2-0 and Costa Rica 3-0 in their opening matches and Suarez is confident his side can recover that form. "The team are happy about what they've done so far," he said "We have already earned respect. I hope we continue to make history."
Ecuador's midfield playmaker Edison Mendez is an injury doubt as he battles a leg muscle strain. "The team is fine with the exception of Edison Mendez. That's the news," Suarez told a reporters Friday following training at their Bad Kissingen headquarters.
"He is undergoing tests and we don't know if he will make it or not," Suarez added, explaining Mendez, scorer of five goals in qualifying, had not made the training session and was having a scan.
"If Mendez does make it the line-up will be the same as in the first two matches," Suarez said, having sent out a second-string side for the final Group A match against Germany, which ended in a 3-0 defeat on the back of wins over Poland and Costa Rica.
In those two games, the South American minnows lined up with Cristian Mora in goal, Aston Villa's Ulises de la Cruz, Ivan Hurtado, Geovanny Espinoza and Neicer Reasco at the back, Luis Valencia, Segundo Castillo, Edwin Tenorio and Mendez in midfield and former Southampton man Agustin Delgado and Carlos Tenorio in attack. Fringe player Patricio Urrutia is in line to replace Mendez.