Three Lions Roar - England's World Cup OpponentsFor When You Need To Roar Loudest!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52652/tlr_fav.png2013-12-13T15:13:19+00:00http://www.threelionsroar.com/rss/stream/49712192013-12-13T15:13:19+00:002013-12-13T15:13:19+00:00Know the Opposition - Costa Rica
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Stephen Brandt is back with his view from overseas, and getting the England Fans up to date on Group D opponent Costa Rica. </p> <p><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold; color: #333333; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 23px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;">FIFA Ranking: </b><span>31</span><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold; color: #333333; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 23px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;"></b></p>
<p><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold; color: #333333; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 23px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;">Last World Cup: </b><span>Did Not Qualify</span><br style="line-height: 23px; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold; color: #333333; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 23px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;">Coach: </b><span>Jorge Luis Pinto </span><br style="line-height: 23px; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold; color: #333333; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 23px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;">Colors: </b><span>Red/White</span><br style="line-height: 23px; color: #333333; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-55Roma; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.5px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;"><b style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: HelveticaNeueW01-75Bold; color: #333333; letter-spacing: -0.5px; line-height: 23px; -webkit-font-smoothing: subpixel-antialiased !important;">Nickname: </b><span>Ticos </span></p>
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<p>World Cup 2014 is coming upon us ever so slowly, and now we know the nations that England will play on their road to the final.</p>
<p>One such nation is Costa Rica. I'm based in America, so I get to see a lot of Costa Rica, and most fans don't like the thought of playing against them. The team includes a lot of very good players, but they play such a typical CONCAFF style. By this I mean they are weak at the back, strong upfront, and have problems in the midfield area.</p>
<p>They can be very lethal in and around the box, with Fulham striker Brian Ruiz, and Major League Soccer (MLS) player Alvaro Sabario, of Real St. Lake doing most of the damage. Joel Campbell, who is owned by Arsenal is a dangerous player, he is currently playing on loan at Olympiacos.</p>
<p>However like many teams in the region, they have problems at the back, similar to the United States team. If you are looking for someone who will provide flair and red cards, that man can be found in the temperamental Sabario. He has quite the temper, and once kicked a ball at a kid during training, Ah, we need more fun in these matches.</p>
<p>The thing with Costa Rica, the most successful Central American team, is that they are out for redemption. They missed out on the last world cup (South Africa 2010) having failed to qualify from their group. The Ticos are in their fourth World Cup Finals, and are looking stronger each year. A memorable match from their Hexagonal qualification was the 1-0 loss to the United States in Denver in March of this year. That was also the famous snow game here in the states.</p>
<p>The key is that Costa Rica despite their play and problems at the back, are a good team, they beat USA and not a very well put together Mexico to finish second in their group. Predicting what a team can do off of what they did against "Named" countries can be a problem. Mexico has been horrible for a while, heck they've had more managers in a year than Chelsea has had in two. (Four) And that's saying a lot.</p>
<p>If you are looking for an exciting match, the England v Costa Rica match won't be one for the ages. It might actually set the sport back a couple decades. Costa Rica is more interested in bunkering, and grinding out a point, than going for the win. They have the talent to do some damage if they pull themselves out of the boring system they seem to have adopted. You don't want to sleep on the Tico's.</p>
https://www.threelionsroar.com/2013/12/13/5185702/know-the-opposition-costa-ricaStephen_Brandt2013-12-07T13:00:24+00:002013-12-07T13:00:24+00:00England Can Navigate Difficult World Cup Group
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<figcaption>Michael Regan</figcaption>
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<p>I try not to read The Sun newspaper, but this morning they ran with a front page of "Lord Help Us" with a picture of Rio's famous Christ The Redeemer Statue. Personally I think we need to take a step back from the all is lost standpoint. </p> <p>There is no doubt that we could have drawn an easier group. After all, we all didn't want to go into Pot 2 because that almost guaranteed a tougher draw, but I failed to consider that we would be drawn with the team moved to Pot 2 making it just as difficult. Unfortunately that happened.</p>
<p>On the face of it, all three of the teams we are facing are difficult opponents, but lets just remember that this is a World Cup, qualifying is done, the best of the best are now playing each other, you're going to get difficult games. Would we rather face three of the smaller nations and then get knocked out in the last 16? I know I wouldn't. If you want to win the tournament, you have to beat the best, whether than be in the group stages or the knockout stages, you'll have to play them at some point.</p>
<p>All the teams in our group have strong impressive individual talents. Uruguay have Suarez and Cavani, two of the best strikers in the World. However they finished 5th in their qualification group, lagging behind Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador. They are vastly inconsistent, they have a draw with Paraguay followed by a 4-0 thrashing of Chile, then a 1-1 draw with Venezuela on their qualifying campaign record.</p>
<p>Italy's qualifying record is similar to that of England's, they were unbeaten with a fair few unremarkable performances, including draws against Denmark, Czech Republic and Armenia. Italy are a good side, with a lot of great talent and their defensive approach makes them very difficult to play against. However they can be beaten and they can be frustrated, and you know Super Mario Balotelli is one crazy moment away from reducing them to 10 men every single time they take the field.</p>
<p>Costa Rica are no pushovers, they have talent on their team as well, although a defender Bryan Oviedo is a very promising young player and Joel Campbell who is owned by Arsenal knows where the goal is. Carlos Borges a central midfielder playing for AIK is also very talented on the ball and puts the meaning into "engine room" in midfield.</p>
<p>However England shouldn't be scared of any of these teams, we've had our troubles for sure, and we are in a little bit of a transition, but do you not think there are fans in Costa Rica, Italy and Uruguay right now commenting on Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge? We are capable of losing every single one of group games, but we are also capable of winning every single one as well.</p>
https://www.threelionsroar.com/2013/12/7/5185024/england-can-navigate-through-their-tough-world-cup-groupDavid Wyatt Hupton2013-12-06T18:57:34+00:002013-12-06T18:57:34+00:00England Face the Unlikely in Group D
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<figcaption>Roy thinks England have been drawn in a tasty group | Clive Mason</figcaption>
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<p>Friday's World Cup draw handed England an incredibly difficult draw against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Can they pull their weight against the big guns (and Costa Rica)?</p> <p>We all knew it was a possibility, watching the telly on Friday. Hoping for the best - a repeat of the "EASY" group from South Africa - but expecting the worst, we watched two heavyweights get drawn, along with a tricky South American side. As the final pinball was drawn for the group, we braced ourselves for the worst...</p>
<p>"And the final team in the group...Australia!"</p>
<p>England escaped Group B, the anointed "Group of Death", which included Spain, the Netherlands and Chile, as well as other groups which included Brazil, Croatia, Columbia and the Ivory Coast to name a few. Alas, England's good luck ran out when Group D was drawn, and they go to Brazil knowing the first three opponents they have to face: Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica. Cue handwringing.</p>
<p>I'm not going to sugarcoat it - this is a difficult draw. The Italians, champions in 2006 and Euro finalists last year, are a well-balanced team managed by one of the most tactically astute characters not named Joachim Low. Uruguay has the pure attacking talent - Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez obviously stand out as the dangermen - and their excellent showing in South Africa cannot be ignored. While their Confederations Cup display did showcase a defence that alternated between shaky and shambolic, the attacking presence of the team makes them a dangerous foe. The Costa Ricans are something of an enigma. The team is very young and their potential is certainly known, but without much experience on the world stage, it's hard to know just what side they will put forth.</p>
<p>So there you have it. England, Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica will lock horns in 2014. A tough draw, but one could turn out well for England should results go their way. Much hinges on the work that Roy Hodgson and co. do before next summer. But hey, Glenn Hoddle <a href="http://www.football-italia.net/42532/hoddle-england-have-perfect-group">thinks we'll be alright</a>, so why worry?</p>
https://www.threelionsroar.com/2013/12/6/5182668/england-against-the-odds-in-brazilDan_Rose