Judgement day for England

England, with John Terry’s mutiny quelled, take on Slovenia knowing they must raise their game considerably or face the ignominy of crashing out of the World Cup at the group stages for the first time since 1958.

The 1-1 draw with the US and the uninspiring stalemate with Algeria has left a team hyped up as one of the pre-tournament favourites with little room to manoeuvre. Three points against Slovenia will ensure England progress to the last-16.

Defeat and they will be heading for the airport while a draw will leave their fate hanging on the result of the US-Algeria game being played simultaneously in Pretoria.

The build-up to this defining moment for England and coach Fabio Capello, who is widely expected to resign should they lose, has been overshadowed by Terry’s abortive challenge to the Italian’s iron-fist reign.

Frank Lampard insists that media talk of a crisis meeting between the players and Capello were over-hyped.

“I’ve not read the reports but I think it has been completely overdone in terms of crisis meeting,” said Lampard, adding the players had sat through a video of their last match. The Algeria game had to be addressed and it was not nice viewing,” he admitted.

Underperforming Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard among others left the pitch in Cape Town on Friday night with boos from a section of their fans ringing in their ears - a sound even less appealing than the drone of the vuvuzela.

Table toppers Slovenia need only a draw to progress after a 1-0 defeat of Algeria and a 2-2 draw with the United States.

And Slovenia captain Robert Koren scents an upset.

“England didn’t show the type of football we expect from them,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2010.