England vs. Belgium: World Cup 2018 Live
England takes on Belgium in a heavyweight battle between the top two teams in Group G. Both teams are through, but the winner here actually faces a tougher schedule moving forward.
• Refresh here for live World Cup updates and analysis from Russia.
• Miss a game? Go here for all of our World Cup coverage.
| Home | Game Info | Away |
|---|---|---|
| England | Belgium | |
| Group Stage | ||
How to watch: In the U.S., Fox and Telemundo have the broadcast at 2 p.m., but you can stream it here.
The Scenarios
The teams are currently tied atop the group on points, goal difference, goals scored — every tiebreaking criteria, actually. That means in the event of a tie today, the group winner will be picked through each team’s disciplinary record, the so-called Fair Play tiebreaker. England currently leads there, with two yellow cards to Belgium’s three.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main storyEngland vs. Belgium Top Story Lines
• England vs. Belgium is seen by some as a game neither team particularly wants to win. Sure, they’d rather win the group. But the group winner goes into what most consider a far stronger side of the knockout round bracket — alongside France, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The runnerup faces what, on paper, is a far less daunting path, and one that avoids the only true contender (Spain) until the semifinals.
Continue reading the main story• Not everyone is buying in to the ‘England should try to lose the group’ theory. Count Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph in the just-keep-winning camp. “Keep winning, keep developing, don’t assume they’d beat Sweden or Switzerland, don’t assume they’d lose to Brazil (who may not beat Mexico),” Hayward wrote on Twitter on Thursday. “Leave all that stuff to clairvoyants. Just win games.”
I reckon England should try to win the group. Keep winning, keep developing, don’t assume they’d beat Sweden or Switzerland, don’t assume they’d lose to Brazil (who may not beat Mexico). Leave all that stuff to clairvoyants. Just win games.
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) June 28, 2018
• England’s Harry Kane leads the race for the World Cup’s scoring title, the Golden Boot, with five goals. Belgium’s Lukaku is right behind with four, the same total as Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
• This will be the third meeting at the World Cup for England and Belgium. They played a 4-4 tie in 1954, and England prevailed, 1-0, on its way to the semifinals in 1990.
• Expect a bunch of lineup changes today. Belgium Manager Roberto Martinez said he might make as many as nine — effectively playing his second string — while England’s Gareth Southgate has said he will make a few, too.
Newsletter Sign Up
Continue reading the main storyPlease verify you're not a robot by clicking the box.
Invalid email address. Please re-enter.
You must select a newsletter to subscribe to.
Sign Up You will receive emails containing news content, updates and promotions from The New York Times. You may opt-out at any time. You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services.Thank you for subscribing.
An error has occurred. Please try again later.
You are already subscribed to this email.
View all New York Times newsletters.
- See Sample
- Manage Email Preferences
- Not you?
- Privacy Policy
- Opt out or contact us anytime
- Opt out or contact us anytime
• Belgium is expected to rest Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard after both sustained minor injuries in a previous match against Tunisia. England’s Kyle Walker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have yellow cards, so they may sit as well to avoid any risk of a second yellow, and a ban, entering the knockouts.
• Southgate said any lineup changes would not lead to a lesser game. The players who do start, he said, “have an opportunity, first and foremost, to play in a World Cup and they want to show what they can do because one of the key things for me is that everybody is ready to come in, not only for this game but the games beyond that.”
• Southgate said midfielder Eric Dyer would make his first start today. And Dele Alli is recovered from a minor injury and could return.
• ”It will be major changes against England,” Belgium’s Martinez said of his plans for a lineup. ”The reality is that we are qualified and in a tournament like the World Cup, you’re only as good as the 23 players. There will be opportunities for other players.”
Some Pregame Reading
• England’s young team came to the World Cup with a new, friendlier mind-set and a media-friendly outlook. Rory Smith of The Times talked to Dele Alli, who may best personify both changes.
Advertisement
Continue reading the main story• England’s Raheem Sterling wrote his own, talking about how his father’s murder when he was 2 shaped his life.
Continue reading the main storyOriginal ArticleSports
0 comments:
Post a Comment