It is on June 10th that the first matches of Group B will see England face Paraguay and an unusual Trinidad and Tobago against the lurking Swedes.
Sven Goran Eriksson’s men, who will prepare in friendlies against Belarus (25/05), Hungary (30/05), and Jamaica (03/06), seem ready, 40 years later, to try their luck again for the ultimate victory. A slight shadow over the English team, however, is Wayne Rooney’s injury, which may well see him miss at least part of the competition… All of England doesn’t even dare to hope for the worst. “England without Wayne Rooney is like France without Thierry Henry or Brazil without Ronaldinho,” Eriksson can still count on Michael Owen, and the 2001 Ballon d’Or winner is eager to make up for a season best forgotten.
The first place in the group could well be contested between the English and the Swedes, who are tied in their last 20 matches with 6 wins, 8 draws, and 6 defeats. A match that promises to be worth its weight in pudding on June 20th in Cologne.
A tough preparation, qualification as the best runner-up, and the challenge of winning against the top teams could make Sweden one of the possible teams for progressing beyond the round of 16. But the Vikings of Lars Lagerbäck will be tough customers, both in defense and especially in attack with the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Juventus Turin striker, Fredrik Ljungberg, the Arsenal attacking midfielder, and Henrik Larsson, the Barcelona spearhead.
For Paraguay, coming off two quarter-final eliminations in 1998 and 2002, it will be about doing just as well as their predecessors, and the men of Anibal Ruiz are ready for the feat that an entire country awaits. Third equal in the South American qualifiers (8 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses), Paraguay managed to include the prestigious Argentinians (0-0 and 1-0) in their haul and showed themselves to be as effective in attack (23 goals scored) as they were shaky in defense with the same number of goals conceded. Three friendly matches to prepare against Norway (23/05), Denmark (27/05), and Georgia (03/06) will then set the stage for a crucial match on June 3 for the first encounter of Group B against England.
Then comes the smallest country qualified for this World Cup, Trinidad and Tobago. The two Caribbean islands hope to do better than the Reggae Boys of Jamaica from the French World Cup. For this, the players led by Leo Beenhakker, some of whom play in the English second and third divisions. On the Soca Warriors’ preparation schedule are Wales (27/05), Slovenia (31/05), and the Czech Republic (03/06) before starting the first of their three meetings in this Group B against Sweden on the upcoming June 10th.
Group B seems destined for the English or Swedes but could well see Paraguay make a notable impact in a game that will likely be based on physicality and tenacity.
Prediction from the editorial team of Nice Première:
1-England 2-Paraguay 3-Sweden 4-Trinidad and Tobago
Group B Schedule:
June 10 in Frankfurt: England – Paraguay (15h)
June 10 in Dortmund: Trinidad and Tobago – Sweden (18h)
June 15 in Nuremberg: England – Trinidad and Tobago (18h)
June 15 in Berlin: Sweden – Paraguay (21h)
June 20 in Cologne: Sweden – England (21h)
June 20 in Kaiserslautern: Paraguay – Trinidad and Tobago (21h)
