Disappointment looms

England, Belgium likely to rest key players in final matchup

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia — Sadly for the fans, Belgium and England are ready to rest and rotate.

In it for the long haul, they face a World Cup reality that could strip some of the flavour from a mouthwatering group decider between two Premier League-rich squads and two of the tournament’s high-scoring teams.

Both have already qualified for the last 16 — only the group winner needs to be decided — so Thursday’s Group G finale in Kaliningrad provides a rare chance in an unrelenting World Cup schedule to rest tired legs, recover from injuries and avoid the risk of suspensions.

Also, fringe squad members can get game time when the pressure is off, in case they are needed unexpectedly when it really counts down the road.

And so the big individual matchups that held so much intrigue a week ago may not materialize.

“It will be major (team) changes against England,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said. “The reality is that we are qualified and in a tournament like the World Cup, you’re only as good as the 23 players (in the squad). There will be opportunities for other players.”

So, possibly no Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United up against former Everton teammate John Stones, now with Manchester City. No midfield contest pitching Eden Hazard of Chelsea and Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City on Belgium’s side against Jordan Henderson of Liverpool and Jesse Lingard of Manchester United on England’s.

And maybe no sign of the World Cup’s leading goal-scorer, England captain Harry Kane, taking on Tottenham clubmate and Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen.

If Kane and Lukaku don’t get on the field, two of the three top goal-scorers in Russia will be missing.

And that would be a shame for the fans.

FINES, NO BANS FOR SWISS

FIFA has fined three Switzerland players for making hand gestures of an Albanian national symbol to celebrate World Cup goals against Serbia, and cleared them to continue playing. Granit Xhaka (pictured) and Xherdan Shaqiri received a warning and a fine of $10,100 for unsporting behaviour, in a judgment Monday by FIFA’s disciplinary panel. Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner was warned and fined $5,050.

The FIFA judges had the power to impose two-match bans if the actions of the players in a 2-1 win last Friday in Kaliningrad were judged to have provoked the general public.

Xhaka and Shaqiri made hand gestures of a two-headed eagle after scoring second-half goals, and Lichtsteiner joined in the celebration.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A Manitoba politician has more than Icelandic heritage fuelling his fandom of the Nordic nation’s soccer team — he also has family ties.

Len Isleifson, legislature member for Brandon East, says he is related to 22 of the team’s 23 players, as well as to its coach.

Isleifson was born in Manitoba after his paternal grandfather immigrated to the province over a century ago. About 30,000 people of Icelandic decent live in the province, the largest concentration of Icelanders outside of the country’s capital.

Isleifson says his 85-yearold dad, Robert, always had a keen interest in their ancestry and, after Iceland’s soccer team qualified last year for its first World Cup, had a genealogy company in Iceland trace his family’s roots to the team.

“You figure you’re going to be related to someone along the line,” Isleifson said. “But it was pleasantly surprising to find out it was so many.”

Iceland is a country of 337,000 and is the smallest participating in the World Cup. The team’s members range from Isleifson’s third to eighth cousins.