England look to end KO failures
Amostly meaningless final group game could end up defining England’s World Cup. With two very different paths through the draw on offer and qualification in the bag, England coach Gareth Southgate rested players for the match against Belgium.
England lost 1-0 in a game where both teams only occasionally showed attacking intent, and that loss set up a second-round game against Colombia, but an easier path after that. Belgium got a Japanese team widely considered weaker, but a potential quarter-final against Brazil.
Southgate has told his team not to think beyond the Colombia clash, reminding players that England hasn’t won a knockout game since beating Ecuador at the World Cup in 2006. The last-16 loss to Iceland at the 2016 European Championship helped give Southgate the support he needed to accelerate a rebuild of the England team and focus on younger players.
BMISSED TRAINING
For Colombia, the focus is on James Rodriguez, who went off injured during Colombia’s 1-0 win over Senegal on Thursday and missed training on Friday and Saturday. A scan showed he has a swelling in his right calf – though the Colombian football federation says the muscle is not torn. Coach Jose Pekerman has said he is “very concerned.” “We have to be ready for whoever plays,” England midfielder Dele Alli said on Saturday. “(Rodriguez) holds a threat and we’re aware of that, but they’ve got a great squad.” If Colombia have to play without Rodriguez, that would mean an extra burden on players like winger Juan Cuadrado, who plays for Juventus, and midfielder Juan Quintero of River Plate. There’s also an understanding that depth could win Colombia the game. “As this World Cup shows, matches are won by details,” midfielder Carlos Sanchez said on Saturday. “There are teams that have world-class stars, but in the end they do not make the difference alone. It is the team which makes the difference.”