For once, England comes in under radar

VOLGOGRAD, Russia — For once, there’s little hype surrounding England at the World Cup. How could there be, given that England hasn’t won a World Cup match for nearly eight years?

But there’s a building sense of optimism that this young England team could produce some impressive performances in Russia, starting Monday against Tunisia in their opening Group G encounter in Volgograd.

The team has won plaudits for its positive approach in the warmup games and there’s widespread respect for coach Gareth Southgate. That was evident in the low-key way he went about picking his squad. Southgate has made it a priority of winning back the hearts and minds of the country during his time in the job.

“I’ve talked before about there being a disconnect between the supporters and the team and I’ve felt that there’s different ways to bridge that,” Southgate said. “The most important is the way you play, and your performances and your results.”

Southgate has also sought to alter the dynamic with the media in hopes it will alleviate the pressure on his team and translate into fearless performances.

Less prickly and reserved, the England players have been open and relaxed at their training camp in Repino, outside St. Petersburg. “I think that’s how we’ve wanted to make it as a team,” England striker Jamie Vardy said, “nice and relaxed and enjoyable, where we can have a laugh and a giggle.”

Having a laugh and a giggle hasn’t been something that England teams have been known for over the past decade or so, when heavily hyped teams have failed to make much progress in any of the international tournaments they have played. Since the 2010 World Cup when the “golden generation” of players — that included Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney — crashed out to Germany in the round of 16, England’s team has gone awry. A quarterfinal loss to Italy on penalties in the 2012 European Championship was followed by a draw and two defeats in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Worse was to come in the 2016 European Championship in France when another over-hyped team lost 2-1 to tiny Iceland in the round of 16.

With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps that defeat will work out for the best for England team as it surely was the moment the country — and the media — realized the pressure heaped on the players was counter-productive.

Though England is the favourite, Tunisia is likely to present a challenge, especially if conditions remain hot and muggy. Under Nabil Maaloul, Tunisia is well-organized, particularly in defence.