England vs. Costa Rica Expert Pick, Predicted Lineup, Injury Report & Tactics - World Cup 2014
England will try to restore some lost pride before they head back home, as they go for the win against a surprising Costa Rica on Tuesday (12:00 p.m US EST/2:00 a.m Sydney time) at Estadio Minetra in Bilo Herozante, Brazil.
What's at Stake
*England is out of the World Cup after bowing both to Italy and Uruguay by one goal (2-1). Wayne Rooney, who is expected to be the next captain of the Three Lions, has been pushing his team to play rough football, as he believed only nasty teams win the tournament.
The Englishmen might have already bombed out of the World Cup, but they want to leave Brazil on a good note, and a win over Costa Rica would surely help them ease the pain of a tragic campaign.
*Costa Rica, meanwhile, looks to continue their magical run after stunning former champions Uruguay 3-1 in the opener and Italy 1-0 last week. The Central Americans' teamwork and work ethic are simply remarkable to watch - characteristics that make them slight favorite over England.
Injury Update
England: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (back problems) will not play in the final group game after suffering a setback while training on Sunday. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling could make their start, while Frank Lampard is expected to captain the team, as replacement to Steven Gerrard.
"Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also out after suffering a setback in training on Sunday, while 36-year-old midfielder Frank Lampard is expected to captain the side in place of Steven Gerrard," according to Telegraph football analyst John Ley.
Costa Rica: manager Luis Pinto is expected to sit out or cut the playing time of some of the team's key players to keep them fresh ahead of the round-of-16 showdown.
Predicted Lineup
Costa Rica (Predicted Lineup, 3-4-2-1): Navas; Duarte, Gonzalez, Miller; Gamboa, Borges, Tejeda, Diaz; Brenes, Campbell; Ruiz.
England (Predicted Lineup, 4-2-3-1): Foster; Jones, Smalling, Cahill, Shaw; Wilshere, Lampard; Lallana, Barkley, Milner; Sturridge.
Experts Pick
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Ley is expecting England to fight in the early going of the match. England is trying to avoid a campaign without a point in the World Cup, while Costa Rica wants a much easier opponent in the knockout stages.
Ley predicted a 1-1 draw between England and Costa Rica.