World Cup 2014 Group D

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Uruguay squad
Italy squad
England squad
Costa Rica squad

Group D fixtures (Kick-off Irish time)

14 June 2014
Uruguay 1 v 3 Costa Rica, Estadio Castelao, Fortaleza, 8pm (ITV)
14 June 2014
England 1 v 2 Italy, Arena Amazonia, Manaus, 11pm (BBC)
19 June 2014
Uruguay v England, Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 8pm (ITV)
20 June 2014
Costa Rica v Italy, Arena Pernambuco, Recife, 5pm (BBC)
24 June 2014
Costa Rica v England, Estadio Mineirao, Belo Horizonte, 5pm (ITV)
24 June 2014
Italy v Uruguay, Arena das Dunas, Natal, 5pm (BBC)


BBC Group D preview

Group D Odds

The stadia

Dozen Wicked Words

Come on England!

Only hope they give it a go. Might have a euro or 2 on them drawing all three games. Hopefully that will transpire to have been pessimistic rather than optimistic.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

If England avoid defeat against Italy I fancy them to take 4 points from their remaining two games and qualify for the knockouts. If they lose I think heads will drop and Uruguay will beat them too, sending them home.

Darkglasses

Monster group. So much depends on Suarez's fitness. Vai vai Italia!

Kerrigooney

England and Uruguay to qualify.

Beefy78

Come on England!

mike65

three 0-0 draws.

mike65

Buffon ruled out against England

brianregan09

Italy and Uruguay to sail through this one can't England causing either problems

eh i dunno

Sterling starting for England according to twitter

Darkglasses

What's the word on the 3 minute water breaks during the England - Italy game? Referee going to make the decision at the time?

mike65

Maxi Pereira is red carded so will miss the next three games. Suarez didn't get off the bench so some questions there.

Kenjataimu

mike65 wrote: »

Maxi Pereira is red carded so will miss the next three games. Suarez didn't get off the bench so some questions there.

3 games for a red? Didn't realise it was that much.

mike65

Straight red so I think so.

Beefy78

Just about over yesterday's disappointment. It was pleasing to see England at least attempting to play football. I think 4pts should be enough to get second now and, although Costa Rica looked good yesterday, that should be seen as an achievable target from these two matches.

mike65

Uruguay have a very slow back line and if England can do anything its move the ball quickly at the business end (pref without Rooney!).

citytillidie

mike65 wrote: »

Maxi Pereira is red carded so will miss the next three games. Suarez didn't get off the bench so some questions there.

He will just miss the England game

Paul Tergat

Us playing Rooney out of position is brainless. Play your best player in his best position and you will get the best out of him.

Annoying hearing pundits saying Rooney isn't covering the LB while at the same time claiming he needs to be our biggest creative force and should be scoring goals

mike65

Rooney is not Englands best player - only its most hyped.

Paul Tergat

Looking forward to hearing who is better

MacBizzle

Sturridge is better than Rooney.

There, I said it.

Paul Tergat

Ha. Nice one

Lucas Hood

mike65 wrote: »

Straight red so I think so.

Nothing to do with being a straight red, you can get a straight red and only get a one match ban for let's say taking someone out clear on goal. His foul is seen as violent conduct so is a 3 game ban.

MacBizzle

Paul Tergat wrote: »

Ha. Nice one

Far less mistake prone, scores more goals, more clinical, suits the style of play better.


Rooney was absolutely brutal last night, made one good cross for the goal and that was it. Missed an absolute sitter. Sterling played better than Rooney ffs in his competitive debut.

Paul Tergat

MacBizzle wrote: »

Far less mistake prone, scores more goals, more clinical, suits the style of play better.


Rooney was absolutely brutal last night, made one good cross for the goal and that was it. Missed an absolute sitter. Sterling played better than Rooney ffs in his competitive debut.

Just about every bit of this post is terrible.

Allow Rooney to play up top and see what you will get out of him. Better than Sturridge in that role. He suffers cause he is able to play elsewhere. Wtf is less mistake prone?

Rooney was shunted out to the left for some bizzare reason. It's not his position and he didnt look comfortable there at all. We stick Rooney up front and we will look a lot better.

mike65

Paul Tergat wrote: »

Looking forward to hearing who is better

If you are asking me who is the best striker then its Sturridge and its certainly him with Sterling at No 10 and Welbeck wide.

Rooney was shunted out to the left for some bizzare reason.

The reason is clear as day - to get him on the pitch. That Hodgson compromised the forward line to keep him selected is pretty damning really.

Paul Tergat

mike65 wrote: »

If you are asking me who is the best striker then its Sturridge and its certainly him with Sterling at No 10 and Welbeck wide.

Dont agree with this at all. Give Rooney the games up front and he will score as many (if not more) than Sturridge and offer us more on top of just goals.

Sterlings performance was ridiculously overhyped. Couple of decent runs, which I think might have been as effective from wide positions, but other than that don't think he really created much for others.

Paul Tergat

mike65 wrote: »

The reason is clear as day - to get him on the pitch. That Hodgson compromised the forward line to keep him selected is pretty damning really.

The issue is he is not playing him in his best position. This is what he should be doing

mike65

His best position is occupied by a better striker - Sturridge (you seem to be having a hard time grasping this!)

Paul Tergat

mike65 wrote: »

His best position is occupied by a better striker - Sturridge (you seem to be having a hard time grasping this!)

Nope. Sturridge is not a better striker than Rooney. Simple Michael

edit: Ive no idea why that winking smiley is there

MacBizzle

Paul Tergat wrote: »

Just about every bit of this post is terrible.

Allow Rooney to play up top and see what you will get out of him. Better than Sturridge in that role. He suffers cause he is able to play elsewhere. Wtf is less mistake prone?

Rooney was shunted out to the left for some bizzare reason. It's not his position and he didnt look comfortable there at all. We stick Rooney up front and we will look a lot better.

Less mistake prone = Tends to make less mistakes.

Since joining Liverpool Sturridge has scored 31 goals in 43 league games, since the start of the 2012/13 season Rooney has scored 29 goals in 56 league games. Please explain to me how, as a striker, Rooney is currently better than Sturridge?

How can you argue that Rooney is better than Sturridge after seeing this? And bare in mind that Rooney takes penalties and free kicks.

Paul Tergat

MacBizzle wrote: »

Less mistake prone = Tends to make less mistakes.

Since joining Liverpool Sturridge has scored 31 goals in 43 league games, since the start of the 2012/13 season Rooney has scored 29 goals in 56 league games. Please explain to me how, as a striker, Rooney is currently better than Sturridge?

Right so what mistakes does Rooney make? One chance yesterday was it? I see plenty of times when the likes of Sturridge/Sterling make bad decisions. Sterling often runs down blind alleys where the pass is on, Sturridge is far too greedy - I think both will learn this though.

How many times has Rooney played up front in that time? I know it won't be anywhere near that 56 total

Beefy78

Wayne Rooney is a better striker than Daniel Sturridge. He has consistently been one of the top scorers in the Premier League for a decade now.

SantryRed

Beefy78 wrote: »

Wayne Rooney is a better striker than Daniel Sturridge. He has consistently been one of the top scorers in the Premier League for a decade now.

Over his career, yes without a doubt.

But in current form? I think you'd be mad to start Rooney ahead of Sturridge.

Beefy78

Rooney has 20 goals this season despite United being crap and being often played out of position to accommodate RVP.

Once again he scored consistently throughout the qualification campaign.

I'd have both in the team but I don't think it is ridiculous to consider picking Rooney if it boiled down to a choice between the two.

Lucas Hood

Croatias players are refusing to speak to the press after these photos(some nude) were published of them at their hotel pool.


http://www.24sata.hr/galerija/show/poslastica-za-nase-navijacice-lovren-srna-i-decki-skroz-goli-371495/922834