England's First World Cup Round

England's First World Cup Round

England have qualified for the World Cup in South Africa 2010, and having been matched with the USA, Slovenia, and Algeria – the nation begin their games, against the former, on 12th June 2010 in Rustenburg, in the heart of the Savannah Bushveld. Despite a few exceptions, little is known of the USA squad, however, they did beat European Champions Spain recently, and have a few famous Premiership faces in their lineup.

Tim Howard, the ex Manchester United and now Everton goalkeeper will almost certainly start in goal, with Watford defender Jay DeMerit providing a solid basis for the USA defence. However, England should forget about winning the trophy if they fail to beat a side such as the Americans. DeMarcus Beasley, who is currently playing for Rangers, will probably lineup on the left hand side of midfield, and could cause problems with his base and agility – however, he isn’t particularly proven on the world stage, despite a stint at PSV Eindhoven, and Glen Johnston should keep him relatively quiet. The teenage sensation Freddy Adu, currently plying his trade in Portugal, was tipped to be a footballing sensation. He was due for a trial period at Manchester United, and was eagerly scouted by Europe’s top managers – whether he will start against England is another matter, but if he does, he may well be dangerous. England’s defensive midfield, perhaps Gareth Barry if he starts, will be looking to keep tabs on the USA’s most prolific player, the Fulham playmaker, Clint Dempsey. Dempsey is proven at the highest level, and scores regularly in the Premier League – in the game against England, he’ll be looking to slip into the space behind the strikers and feed balls through. One man who’ll be looking to get on the end of those passes, is Landon Donovan, the USA’s most popular player, and David Beckham’s teammate at Los Angeles Galaxy. Donovan has played on loan at Everton this season and has shown just why he’s considered one of the finest players around.

So, England may not have as an easy as group as first thought, however bookies are certain to see a lot of online betting in favour of England this summer!