Maradona gives England a hand
Once more, England were affected by the ‘‘Hand of God’’ but, this time, Diego Maradona’s divine intervention delivered them a World Cup draw that they could have hand-picked themselves.
They are in group G with Belgium, Tunisia and first-timers Panama. Maradona - resplendent in a garish yellow bow tie nestled on a black shirt - drew out their ball and the rich irony was not lost on England nor draw host Gary Lineker who commented, in a line he was clearly desperate to deliver, that ‘‘Diego has always been good with his hands’’.
The Argentine knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup in the quarterfinals when Lineker was tournament top-scorer. ‘‘I thought Gary captured that well,’’ Gareth Southgate said later.
The England manager spoke of facing the unknown and the very well known after a draw which, despite the cautious qualification he placed on it, means there is no excuse if they again fail to get through to the knockout stages.
In fact, Southgate looked a relieved man - so much for his poker-face - and even namechecked the fact that he avoided the likes of ‘‘serious contenders’’ Brazil and, from Pot Four, ‘‘really dangerous’’ Serbia.
Southgate will also be relieved that having decided to base England the other side of St Petersburg, they do not face the most challenging of journeys to their group games: Tunisia in Volgograd on June 18, Panama in Novgorod on June 24 and then Belgium in Kaliningrad on June
28. A total travelling distance of
4050 miles - less than the 6000-plus, and different time-zones, it could have been.
If they get through then the last16 is relatively kind, with England facing a nation from Group H possibly Poland, Senegal or Colombia - although it would, potentially, be a quarter-final against holders Germany. But let’s not get carried away.
‘‘I go back to the last two tournaments, really,’’ Southgate said when asked what was his message to England fans. ‘‘We have to be focused, to make sure nothing is taken for granted which, in fairness, I don’t think is what happened. But we also have to handle the expectation of being one of the favourite teams in the group. For us, as a team, when you’re involved with England that’s the mentality you’ve got to have.
‘‘You know as a second seed you’re going to play two teams ranked below you. But it’s still a bit of an unknown at this moment, it’s great now to get the videos out and start plotting and following exactly the players we’re going to be up against and the coaches.’’
There is plenty more of the unknown - and not least from England themselves.
‘‘What I’m mindful of is that we have a team I’m excited about but who don’t have the trophies and medals, the number of caps which winners and successful teams in past tournaments have had,’’ Southgate said. ‘‘But equally I’m excited about them, I believe in them and we’re really looking forward to the World Cup.
‘‘But we have just come from two tournaments where Costa Rica and Iceland knocked us out. It would be folly for us not to be serious about our preparation and make sure of our mentality, but also not being fearful of what might happen. It is an important balance to find.’’
England should have a sense of equilibrium, though, after this draw.