What: Slovenia vs. England
When: Tuesday, June 23 at 10 a.m. ET
Where: Port Elizabeth Stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay
TV: ESPN, Univisión
England have found themselves in what is essentially a must-win situation. Winless in the tourney so far, Fabio Capello's side is battling both internal meltdown and external pressure to rescue what has been a forgettable tournament. They face a Slovenia team that has surprised the entire group and needs just a tie to reach its first-ever World Cup knockout round.
England
England have been "France-lite" in 2010. After playing two underwhelming draws against what should have been easy foes (at least on paper), the players began bickering and then turned on their coach. To complete the drama, former captain John Terry led a one-man mutiny that was quickly extinguished by his teammates.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney—England's best hope for goals—is struggling to regain the form that put him among Europe's best last season. The Manchester United star, who has battled ankle problems recently, has not scored for England since they thrashed Slovenia's neighbors Croatia, 5-1, nine months ago. Rooney's role with the Three Lions, which has him playing deeper than he does at Manchester United, has been criticized by English fans and media, and the temperamental striker has let his frustrations boil over publicly.
Questions also remain about England's starting lineup, too. With Jamie Carragher suspended, Terry will have to line up with his fourth central defense partner (likely Matthew Upson) in as many games. The players have also publicly expressed a preference for a 4-5-1 that includes Chelsea's Joe Cole, though Capello has shown inexplicable disinterest in using the creative winger.
Slovenia
Despite coughing up a 2-0 lead (that very much could have been a loss) against the USA, Slovenia have looked confident and organized enough to beat anyone in the group. Their toughest test, however, will be on Wednesday against an England side seeking a win.
But with three goals and four points from their first two matches, the Slovenians have every right to feel confident—even if they are reeling from not securing their place in the last 16 on Friday.
“I really don’t know why we should be afraid of anyone," head coach Matjaz Kek said. "The boys are more than aware of what they’re capable of. All the euphoria around the team has been brought about by their attitude and by the quality of their performances. They have proved they can compete with the best.”
Striker Milivoje Novakovic will be looking to lead the Slovenians, who have promised to go at England and attack. Novakovic was the Slovenian's leading scorer in qualifying, though he hasn't netted yet in this tournament.
Final Analysis
The Green Dragons have a genuine shot at a memorable slaying. It's likely England will want to get on the scoreboard early, and that could leave their shuffled defense exposed. Should Slovenia eek out an early goal themselves, that would flummox their already frustrated opponents, which would spell game over for the Three Lions.
England need to keep their cool and get back to basics. The possession game doesn't work for them, and if indeed they switch to a 4-5-1, they'll look to pump balls forward just like in the good ol' days. But that's their strength—and right now, with their confidence busted, their success lies in finding that comfort zone. They may be France-lite this year, but if they can hit their stride in the final group game and take that momentum into the knockout round … well, we all know what that did for the French four years ago.
