Time to Dream Again
For England fans, supporting the Three Lions has been a soul destroying experience over the years. The list of moments which caused us to shed bucket loads of tears is endless; Maradona's 'hand of God' goal in 1986; the agony of getting knocked-out on penalties in 1990 as the whole nation wept alongside Paul Gascoigne in the semi-final defeat to West Germany; Ronaldinho's freak goal in 2002; and the 'winker' Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal sending England out on penalties again four years ago.
Some might point to 1966 and say it hasn't all been bad. But lets be honest, for those of us who weren't around to experience it, we can't really take solace in the fact that England have won the World Cup before. It is time for a new generation to revel in the glory of an England captain, to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Bobby Moore, and lift the World Cup.
What makes England's failure at previous campaigns so difficult to accept is the fact that heading into every World Cup since 1966, England have always had some of the best players in the world and were considered one of the pre-tournament favourites.
It is no different for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Fabio Capello's England squad boasts players such as John Terry, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, who would walk into any other team competing in the World Cup. Ask Vicente Del Bosque or Diego Maradona if they would take these five England players as part of the Spain or Argentina squad and the answer would in all likelihood be a resounding yes.
The spine of England's team is one to be proud of. Terry in defence has the heart of a lion and will put his body on the line for the team. Ashley Cole is considered one of, if not the, best left-back in the world. Gerrard and Lampard have been two of the best midfielder in European football over the last decade.
As for Rooney, well, this World Cup gives the Manchester United superstar the chance to etch his name amongst the greatest players to have ever played the game. The England talisman has the skills to make this World Cup his own and lead the country to their second World Cup triumph.
So for the next month, England fans are once again bracing themselves for a heart-pounding journey in following their team to, fingers-crossed, World Cup glory.
Has The Time Finally Arrived?
Will England Win The World Cup?
Say A Prayer
Cross Your Fingers
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