Roy Hodgson has a talented side; few have doubts about this. However, England has underwhelmed in most international tournaments since a good showing on home soil in Euro 1996.
They have underwhelmed so much that most of their fans are pessimistic ahead of the World Cup, especially considering the fact that they have been paired with not one but two power houses of the game in their group in Uruguay and Italy. Also, there is the small matter of dealing with Costa Rica.
Hodgson will perhaps field his preferred line up. He is set to pair Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson in defensive midfield. Up front, Daniel Sturridge should take his spot.
From the wings, Danny Welbeck and another Liverpool star, Raheem Sterling, are set to support Sturridge. Wayne Rooney in all likelihood will play in the hole behind the striker. This gives England the addition ability of interchanging as Rooney and Welbeck can both play as strikers while Sturridge can play on the wing as well.
As far as the back line is considered, Joe Hart should start in goal. Leighton Baines and Glen Johnson are set to be the wingbacks while Phil Jagielka and the experienced Gary Cahill are set to look after the heart of defense.
England will face a rather inexperienced Peru side as neither their ageless captain Claudio Pizarro and hero of the FIFA Club World Cup of 2013, Jose Paulo Guerrero have not been called up to the squad. Peru’s most recent tournament was the Copa America of 2011 where they dispatched Venezuela 4-1 following a loss to Uruguay, 0-2. They had beaten Columbia earlier, 0-2 after extra time and surprisingly out of form Mexico, 1-0. Their opponents England’s most recent tournament experience came in Euro 2012 when old foes Italy knocked them out on penalties in the quarter finals.
Where to watch the match: Live Streams, Live Scores, Start Times, TV Channels
Watch England vs Peru live on Friday, May 30, 2014:
In Canada at 15:00 ET on Sportsnet World
In the UK at 20:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live, ITV Live Player, ITV 1, UTV
In the USA at 15:00 ET on Fox Deportes, Fox Sports 2 USA, Fox Soccer 2Go
In Peru, viewers can tune into ESPN Play Latin America amongst other networks to watch the match.
For the complete TV listings and live scores upon kick-off, visit the England-Peru match page.
