England closes in on World Cup 2010
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AFP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 06, 2009 00:00
PARIS - England can all but book its World Cup finals tickets on Saturday if it can take full points at Kazakhstan in Almaty.
After the humiliation of missing out altogether on Euro 2008, on the back of yet another unfulfilled dream at the World Cup two years earlier in Germany, pride has been restored even if it took an Italian, Fabio Capello, to do it.
Five wins in as many games have the 1966 champion cantering in Group Six with a five-point cushion over a second-placed Croatia side it has already thumped away from home while third-placed Ukraine lags another three points further behind.
With little Andorra arriving at Wembley next week, six points from the two games would see England home and dry.
Yet Almaty represents a trip into the unknown and with Croatia expecting to close the gap by seeing off the Ukrainians at home, England now needs to close the door with only the group winner guaranteed to go through. Liverpool star Steven Gerrard says with Capello at the helm, England is mentally ready for the task ahead against a side it beat 5-1 at Wembley, albeit after a sluggish opening.
"We need to approach them with the right attitude and get the job done," Gerrard warned.
"If we win these two games, we will be three points away from qualification with three games to play and that puts us basically in the driving seat," Gerrard told FA.Com.
International teammate Frank Lampard said England had been reassessing the Wembley meeting, conceding that "we were not at our best" on that occasion.
He said he was itching for action.
"Everyone is fit and fresh and, whether they have lost or won cup finals with their club teams, they are very focused.
England is without first-choice goalkeeper David James and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has a calf problem.
Five wins in as many games have the 1966 champion cantering in Group Six with a five-point cushion over a second-placed Croatia side it has already thumped away from home while third-placed Ukraine lags another three points further behind.
With little Andorra arriving at Wembley next week, six points from the two games would see England home and dry.
Yet Almaty represents a trip into the unknown and with Croatia expecting to close the gap by seeing off the Ukrainians at home, England now needs to close the door with only the group winner guaranteed to go through. Liverpool star Steven Gerrard says with Capello at the helm, England is mentally ready for the task ahead against a side it beat 5-1 at Wembley, albeit after a sluggish opening.
"We need to approach them with the right attitude and get the job done," Gerrard warned.
"If we win these two games, we will be three points away from qualification with three games to play and that puts us basically in the driving seat," Gerrard told FA.Com.
International teammate Frank Lampard said England had been reassessing the Wembley meeting, conceding that "we were not at our best" on that occasion.
He said he was itching for action.
"Everyone is fit and fresh and, whether they have lost or won cup finals with their club teams, they are very focused.
England is without first-choice goalkeeper David James and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has a calf problem.