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Saturday June 6, 2009

Fab’s England close in on Finals but Portugal in crisis

PARIS: England can all but book their World Cup Finals tickets today if they 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 champions cantering in Group Six with a five-point cushion over a second-placed Croatia side they have already thumped away from home while third-placed Ukraine lag 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.

Listen carefully: England manager Fabio Capello (right) talks to the players before a training session in London Colney, north of London, on Monday. — Reuters

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 need to close the door with only the group winners guaranteed to go through.

Liverpool star Steven Gerrard says with Capello at their backs England are mentally ready for the task ahead against a side they 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.”

International team-mate Frank Lam­pard said England had been reassessing the Wembley meeting, conceding that “we were not at our best” on that occasion.

Even at the end of a long campaign which culminated in him landing the FA Cup with Chelsea Lampard 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 are without first-choice goalkeeper David James, who has undergone shoulder surgery — Robert Green is set to deputise — and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has a calf problem, meaning a chance for Everton’s Joleon Lescott or West Ham’s Matthew Upson to impress alongside John Terry.

As England race onwards towards the Finals their recent nemesis, Portugal, can only wish they were in their shoes.

The Portuguese, who ended English hopes at Euro 2004 and then in Ger­many two years later, have had a near disastrous campaign under former Man­­­chester United assistant Carlos Queiroz and will be on the verge of elimination if they lose today in Albania.

One win in five games means Cris­tiano Ronaldo and company stand third, seven points behind Denmark and a resurgent Hungary.

With a trip to the Danes, who beat them in Lisbon, to come Portugal are at crisis point after three straight goalless draws — including one at home to the Albanians.

“We have confidence in abundance,” Queiroz told reporters on Thursday.

“Mentally, physically, technically, we are fine. (But) there will have to be more intensity, quality and rhythm.”

With Sweden level on points and with a game in hand on his men ahead of their home match with the Danes today, Queiroz concluded that “we can’t guarantee the result — but we do guarantee 90 minutes of quality football and hard work”.

Portugal’s Valencia star Miguel insisted that although “we are struggling to gel as a team and have been a bit short on luck we have it in us to win the five games that can take us through”.

World champions Italy, European cham­p­­ions Spain, France and Germany also have a break as their rivals slug it out.

Spain have maximum points in Group Five, while the unbeaten Italians sit atop Group Eight, meaning the pressure today is all on the Republic of Ireland, who could go top by a single point if they end the challenge of Bulgaria away.

“It is the last game of the season for us and probably one of the bigge­st we have ever had,” said Ireland’s Manchester City defender Richard Dunne.

Germany are sitting pretty top of Group Four with Guus Hiddink’s Russia four points behind albeit with a game more to play.

As both sides sit it out for now, Finland will attempt to draw to within two points of Russia by defeating minnows Liechtenstein while also-rans Azerbaijan and Wales meet in Baku.

France will meanwhile be keen ob­­servers as Group Seven leaders Serbia, whom the French must still play away, seek to build on a two-point advantage at home to Austria.

Lithuania, trailing the French by a point having played a game more, can leapfrog Les Bleus into second place if they win at home to struggling Romania.

Group Nine is all but settled with Holland having won all five games so far ahead of a trip to Iceland. If Iceland can pull off a shock win they would go level on points with Scotland, without a game this week, in the battle for an unlikely playoff berth. — AFP

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