Young Lions looking sharp
Jamie Bradbury
Thursday, 02 September, 2010
Loach leaves for Seniors but remaining Lions keep focus.
On Thursday morning, England's Under-21 players trained at the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos, home of Portuguese Second Division outfit Gil Vicente Futebol Clube.
The 12,000-seater stadium, in the northern town of Barcelos, is where Stuart Pearce's men will take on Portugal on Friday evening (6pm ko).
The match is a must-win game for the team looking to reach the play-offs for Euro 2011, and the first of a double-header this week. Following the trip to Portugal the Three Lions return to England to face Lithuania in Colchester on Tuesday - their final Group Nine Qualifier.
Pearce had earlier seen off goalkeeper Scott Loach, who headed back to the airport to meet up with Fabio Capello's squad following the withdrawal of Scott Carson.
However, the remaining 18 members of the Under-21s squad were out on the pitch looking sharp in the warm Portuguese sun.
The highlight of the session came near the end from the left boot of Daniel Sturridge, when the squad split into two teams for a small-sided game.
The Chelsea forward watched a high ball drop kindly for him before sending a vicious dipping volley over the head of 'keeper Frank Fielding.
Tom Cleverley, the Manchester United midfielder who recently joined Wigan Athletic on loan, and Blackburn defender Phil Jones both came close with good efforts, smashing against the woodwork.
Meanwhile, Sturridge's Chelsea team-mate Jack Cork, who is on loan at Burnley this season, almost matched the earlier goal with a left foot volley of his own that rippled the net and was met with applause from around the pitch.
Two strikes like that would be nice on Friday evening with maximum points needed from the next two games for England's hopes of reaching Denmark to be kept alive.
As it stands, England are in second spot on eleven points behind Greece, who are on 16 having played a game more.
The Greeks wrap up their group games on Saturday against Macedonia, and a draw will almost certainly see them finish as group winners and claim an automatic play-off spot.
So unless Greece lose, the Three Lions are looking for qualification as one of the four best runners-up.
Historically, 17 points has been enough to claim one of those slots, but not guaranteed, and the only way England can either overtake Greece, or finish with 17 points, is to win their last two Qualifiers.
The table as it stands
|
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
Greece |
7 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
6 |
5 |
16 |
England |
6 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
11 |
7 |
4 |
11 |
Portugal |
6 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
6 |
3 |
10 |
Lithuania |
7 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
-5 |
5 |
Macedonia |
6 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
14 |
-7 |
2 |
Head to head
VS