With the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicking off in 28 days, it’s time to explore one of the leading contenders in Group B, Harry Kane’s England.
Every day until November 20th, we’ll explore a different team represented in this year’s tournament, from Group A to Group H, including predictions about where they’ll end up.
Yesterday, we looked at the final team in Group A, the Flying Dutchman of the Netherlands. Onward to Group B, starting with the group favorites, the Three Lions of England, fighting for the Queen.
England
Group B
Nickname: The Three Lions
Colors: White, blue, red
Location:
Coach: Gareth Southgate (England)
Top Players:
Per usual, the English talent is stacked higher than a London double-decker. Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale is a beast in the net, though the defense is questionable with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece James both possibly out with injuries, leaving a hilarious Harry Maguire to try and deal with a weak right flank. Mason Mount, who’s hotter than Harry Potter as of late, leads a stacked midfield that includes Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, one of the few English players not currently playing in the Premier League. Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, and Jadon Sancho will lead a stacked attack with Harry Kane as the spearpoint.
Team History:
England has been to the World Cup 16 times, winning once in 1966. The Three Lions were upset 2-1 by Croatia in the 2018 Russian semi-finals and are one of the favorites to make a deep run this year. They come into Qatar in poor form, losing 3 of their last 6 matchups.
Tournament Prediction: Quarterfinals loss to France.
England will be playing for the Queen’s memory, but will it be enough to save their defense? Group B should be a relatively easy win for the British – we hope the USMNT upsets our former tax collectors, but the colonizers are in a good position to get points from every team in Group B. If they finish first, they will probably face Senegal in the round of 16, which will be the first real test for their defense. If they squeak past the AFCON Champions, England will be outclassed by France in the quarterfinals.
Featured Image: Generated Image: DALL-E 2/TheFootballAssociation/EnglandNationalTeam/DM