Today saw the highly anticipated Group G match between England and Belgium. With highly rated stars on both sides of the pitch and a top group spot to play for, many were excited about the match.
While the match itself was an interesting, if not duller than expected, affair, both teams opted to play an alternative squad in order to rest players and give the full squad some experience on the World Cup stage.
Adnan Januazaj provided the only goal of the game after cutting into the box and curling the ball into the left side of the goal.
The win put Belgium at the top of the group, yet many were quick to see the advantage of having lost the game for England, as they will place in the easier half of the draw.
Belgium go into the draw alongside four previous World Cup winners, Uruguay, Argentina, France and Brazil, while England’s only serious opposition could come in the form of Spain, assuming both teams win their respective matches.
England and Spain are joined in their half of the draw by Colombia, Russia, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland. Japan, Mexico and Portugal finish off the upper half of the draw.
All in all, it seems like the England side were quicker to realise the ramifications of losing the game for the sake of the campaigns. Although both sides looked to be promise more goals, ultimately neither team ended up pushing hard enough to trouble the score line again.
Some may say that this could give England an easy run into the finals, yet their draw may not necessarily be the blowout people were expecting. Their impressive form thus far has given many fans hope that this, as well as the favourable draw, can help England bring the cup back.