Post by Salem6 on Jun 10, 2006 9:51:15 GMT
Group B
Frankfurt
Saturday, 10 June
Kick-off: 1400 BST
How to follow the game:
Live on BBC One (from 1240 BST), BBC Radio Five Live (from 1300 BST) & the BBC Sport website
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England's first game in the 2006 World Cup - against Paraguay - is now just hours away in a sunny Frankfurt.
More than 30,000 England fans are there ahead of Saturday's 1400 BST kick-off, with supporters back home also ready to cheer on Sven-Goran Eriksson's side.
Steven Gerrard should start provided he has not aggravated a back injury, while Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz has declared himself fit to play.
Eriksson has said he wants a win "to send a message to other teams".
England (probable): Robinson, G Neville, Terry, Ferdinand, A Cole, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, J Cole, Owen, Crouch.
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1035: "The comradery is there and I think the belief and confidence is there. There is enough quality in the squad to go all the way. There's lots of expectations from the country but I think the boys are ready to handle that. I think Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard will excel in this tournament. I'm really excited, so much so that I think I need to calm down a bit."
BBC analyst Ian Wright outside the stadium in Frankfurt
1030: "The preparations are right, the build-up is right, players and fans are excited and want to get started. Players will want to get in, get the result and get out and look forward to the next match. The players will have heard enough and read enough and just want to get going now. I wish I was out there, it's a great feeling sitting in the dressing room knowing that you're about to play a World Cup match."
BBC analyst Alan Shearer outside the stadium in Frankfurt
1022: "England's fans are dominating Frankfurt, with red and white shirts adding a splash of colour to a glorious day. Even with almost four hours to go to kick-off they are gathering near the stadium in their thousands. If England don't make a good start to the tournament it won't be for lack of support. It has also just been announced to the media that Prince William will be adding his support for England after signing the Honorary Book of Frankfurt at the stadium."
Phil McNulty, BBC Sport in Frankfurt
1010: "Anyone expecting a large, emphatic England victory against Paraguay is perhaps being over-optimistic."
James Pearce, BBC News 24
0930: "England players will be greeted by soaring temperatures when they leave their hotel near Frankfurt city centre. The heat is expected to be in the 80s by the time kick-off approaches. Interest in Sven-Goran Eriksson's side is so intense in Germany that even the English media are being captured on television cameras as they leave their hotel."
Phil McNulty, BBC Sport in Frankfurt
0840: "The stadium is quite fantastic - there are huge video screens inside which will be showing action replays. Apparently the pitch did dig up a bit yesterday when the teams trained on it."
Filo Holland, Five Live Sport
0810: "There will be a few nerves about, there is so much expectation on the players. But I fancy England strongly this time round."
Wigan manager Paul Jewell talking to Five Live Sport
0800: "Frankfurt is certainly putting on a show for the World Cup, with a giant screen placed in the middle of the river, with seating on the banks, for those who want to watch the matches."
Phil McNulty, BBC Sport in Frankfurt
BIG MATCH STATS
Head-to-heads
England and Paraguay have met each other twice before. In 1986, England won 3-0 at the second round stage of the World Cup in Mexico. Gary Lineker scored twice and Peter Beardsley got the other. In 2002, England beat Paraguay 4-0, this time in a friendly international.
Team facts - England
The 1966 World Cup winners are taking part in the World Cup for the 12th time. Four years ago England reached the quarter-finals in which they were eliminated by the eventual champions Brazil.
England have only failed to progress from the group stage on two occasions, in 1950 and 1958.
Team facts - Paraguay
This is Paraguay's seventh World Cup, and third in a row. It's the first time they've qualified for three successive World Cup finals.
Paraguay have reached the last 16 in their last three participations. After their loss to England in the quarter-finals in 1986, the South Americans fought an heroic battle with hosts France in 1998 only to fall to an extra-time 'golden goal' by Laurent Blanc. In 2002, they lost in the second round to Germany, 1-0.
Player facts - England
David Beckham, Gary Neville and Michael Owen are the most capped players in England's squad with 87, 79 and 77 caps respectively. Sol Campbell and Michael Owen can become the first English players since 1990 to have played 10 World Cup matches if they make an appearance against Paraguay. Peter Shilton is England's record holder with 17 World Cup appearances.
Theo Walcott could become the second youngest player ever at a World Cup. Should he play on 10 June, Walcott will be 17 years and 86 days old, only 45 days older than all-time record holder Norman Whiteside. If Walcott scores, he will be the youngest ever goalscorer, beating Pele's record of 17 years and 239 days.
Player facts - Paraguay
Carlos Gamarra and Roberto Acuna are Paraguay's most capped players with 106 and 93 caps respectively. The pair, along with Denis Caniza, can become the only Paraguay players to have been involved in nine World Cup matches if they make an appearance against England.
Jose Montiel can become Paraguay's youngest ever player at the World Cup. He will be 18 years and 83 days old on 10 June. Montiel can also enter the top 10 of youngest players at a World Cup.
Miscellaneous Info
England have won every match that Peter Crouch has appeared in. Since he made his debut in 2003, England have played without Wayne Rooney on 10 occasions and did not lose a single match, winning nine and drawing one.
Paraguay have received a red card in their last two World Cup matches. In their last group match in 2002 against Slovenia, Carlos Parades was sent off after 22 minutes. In the subsequent second round against Germany, Roberto Acuna received a red card in injury time.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4852606.stm