World cup: D does not mean death

World cup: D does not mean death

SINGAPORE- Roy Hodgson is still putting his £10 ($20) on England to win the World Cup, but Football Association chairman Greg Dyke clearly thinks the team have no chance of getting out of their "Group of Death".

After 45 minutes of dancing, hyperbole and tributes to Nelson Mandela, a host of former World Cup stars selected the groups for next year's tournament in Brazil yesterday morning (Singapore time) - and for England fans, it did not make comfortable viewing.

Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica will be England's opponents at the World Cup.

Dyke, who wants England to win the 2022 World Cup, slid his index finger across his throat after England were placed in Group D.

He did not say a word to either Hodgson or FA general secretary Alex Horne, who were sat either side of him, but he did not need to.

The message from the gesture was clear - England are doomed.

Italy have won the World Cup four times and, little over 12 months ago, they knocked England out of Euro 2012.

Costa Rica may be World Cup minnows, but two-time champions Uruguay have Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez.

It is not only the calibre of opposition that will trouble England next summer.

They will have to play their opening game in Manaus - the sweaty jungle city where humidity levels exceed 80 per cent. Officials from the Italian and Costa Rican delegations described it as "the Group of Death".

That phrase is wheeled out at almost every draw, but in this instance, it seems very apt for England.

Still, Hodgson does not believe that D stands for death.

STAKE

The England boss said before the draw that he would stake £10 on the Three Lions winning the tournament, and when asked if he still would do so, he said: "Why not? It's a tough group but we're not the only team in a tough group.

"I can't deny that it's not the group we would have plucked out for ourselves.

"I'm glad they (other managers) do all the nominating of names for the type of group it is. I'll just call it Group D.

"I think it's going to be very tough. If it is a group what is being named, you'd think it's our presence in it that contributes to that. People are not going to be rubbing their hands with joy because they've got to play England."

England will begin their World Cup campaign on June 14 against Italy in Manaus before they face Uruguay in Sao Paulo five days later.

Their final group game takes place in Belo Horizonte - where England lost to the US in 1950 - against Costa Rica.

Should England make it through they will face one of either Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast or Japan.

A quarter-final with either Spain or Brazil could then be on the cards - again in the heat of the north.

Yesterday, Fifa switched the scheduled kick-off times of seven World Cup matches, including the England-Italy match which was due to start at 9pm (Brazil time).

That match will now kick off three hours earlier at 6pm in the hot and humid Amazonian jungle city of Manaus.

Two more games in Manaus - Portugal v United States and Cameroon v Croatia - have been pushed back three hours to 6pm local time.

FIFPro, the international footballers' union, had pressed Fifa not to have the earliest kick-offs in the hottest and most humid weather conditions.

The England-Italy switch means the Ivory Coast versus Japan game will now start at 10pm (Brazil time) in the tropical coastal climate of Recife. - Wire Services.

I can't deny that it's not the group we would have plucked out for ourselves. I'm glad they (other managers) do all the nominating of names for the type of group it is. I'll just call it Group D. - England manager Roy Hodgson


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