Croatia v England - PREVIEW
England face test of character
It is not just for his goals that Sven-Goran Eriksson has reason to be grateful to Wayne Rooney.
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| England's forward Wayne Rooney jubilates after his goal, 17 June 2004 at Coimbra stadium, during their Euro 2004 group B football match against Switzerland at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Mladen ANTONOV |
As well as helping to get England's Euro 2004 campaign back on track, the precocious exploits of the nation's favourite 18-year-old have also served to deflect the spotlight away from the worrying lack of form of his strike partner, Michel Owen.
"Talking in general, all the strikers I've had in the past 20 years, it's always a problem if they don't score in three or four games," revealed coach Sven Goran Eriksson.
"All of them make the same small mistake - they think they must score and are stuck mentally, rather than going out to play football."
The Swede insists no member of his team is "untouchable," but he has also made it clear he is some way away from seriously contemplating dropping Owen from his starting line-up.
"All the world knows that he is a great goalscorer and, sooner or later, he will score," Eriksson said. "Give him one chance and the ball is there."
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| England's midfielder Frank Lampard (L) vies with Switzerland's forward Hakan Yakin, 17 June 2004 at Coimbra stadium, during their Euro 2004 group B football match at the European Nations championship in Portugal. AFP PHOTO Mladen ANTONOV |
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| Croatia's forward Milan Rapaic (R) scores from the penalty spot past French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, 17 June 2004 during their match at the European Nations football championships at the DR. Magalhaes Pessoa Stadium in Leiria. France and Croatia are competing in Group B with England and Switzerland. |
With England needing a point from Monday's Group B encounter to ensure their passage to the quarter-finals, Eriksson could do with that one chance materialising sooner rather than later.
Croatia, who were unlucky only to draw with France, should provide a more testing examination of England's credentials as a potential winner of the tournament.
England beat the Croats 3-1 in a friendly last August a match in which Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard scored his first goal for England.
"I think we know what we are up against and we will have to be at our best. We know what is on the line. If we get a result against Croatia we are three games away from winning the tournament," said Lampard.
Probable teams
Croatia: Butina - Simic, R. Kovac, Simunic, Zivkovic (capt) - Rosso, N. Kovac, Tudor, Rapaic - Prso, Sokota
Coach: Otto Baric
England: James - G. Neville, Terry, Campbell, A. Cole - Beckham (cap), S. Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes - Owen, Rooney
Coach: Sven Goran Eriksson
Referee: Pierluigi Collina (ITA)