Team Profile: England

Probable Starting XI: Robinson, A. Cole, Neville, Terry, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Lampard, J. Cole, Beckham (c), Rooney, Owen

England faces probably their best chance to win an international tournament since Euro 96. With an ideal mix of young and veteran players, it is arguable that England has the right balance to lift the cup in 2006. The fact that this World Cup will be played on European soil increases the likelihood that England could well turn out to be the winners this time around. The challenger for the departing Swede coach Sven-Goran Eriksson would be to harness the abundance of talent available at his disposable, into an effective tournament-winning unit. The point of contention would be to nurture the world-class midfield consisting of ChelseaÂ’s talismanic attacking midfielder Frank Lampard and talented and fast improving left-winger Joe Cole, LiverpoolÂ’s European conquering captain and current PFA Player of the Year Steven Gerrard, and of course, captain David Beckham into a cohesive one. The defense, led by John Terry looks solid enough and Paul Robinson has finally assured the Three Lion faithful that David Seaman has been properly replaced. So if Owen can overcome the foot injury curse that has plagued England at the preparation of every tournament, England should certainly be there when the dust settles.

Likely Stars:




Wayne Rooney
England's fate hangs on the shoulders of the dynamic 20-year old yet again. Onus is on him to ignite England's hopes of lifting the cup. His form is peaking just about right at the moment. If he can stay fit, should trouble any defence in the world.







David Beckham
England's skipper has been said to be a big match player. It really does not get bigger than this. At age 30, this is arguably his last realistic chance to lift the cup as an active member of the squad






Frank Lampard
Probably one of the best attacking midfielders in the world at the moment. Absolutely lethal 15 yards out, Lampard has scored a glut of goals for Chelsea this season.Bet is on him to reproduce thascoringng rate for his country.



Trivia:

Most likely to beat up a referee: Rooney - In fact, he also is most likely to beat up a fan, water boy, ball boy, parking lot attendant etc.

Most likely to miss in a penalty in a shootout: Take your pick - Why not start with who isn't going to miss. It's probably easier.

Most likely to get a bigger contract after the tournament: Joe Cole - An European giant should come in for him if he does well enough. Real Madrid might be a possibility. Who else could afford to offer more than Chelsea but them? Or maybe even Campbell. If he can get on a plane and get into a bloodied mess, say against Brazil. Managers love the blood-wearing Terry Butcher kind. Says quite a bit about on-field commitment apparently.

Most likely to retire after the tournament: Beckham - Finally realizes that captaining other people is not the same as ordering his kids around. Retires from international football to concentrate on pop star career.

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