World Cup Diary 15. England v Sweden.

30 November -0001

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The England fans in Cologne will be sharing the stadium with the yellow hordes of Sweden's followers and on the pitch the team can expect a real contest with Scandinavia's best team needing a draw to be certain of qualification.

Eriksson wants a win as it guarantees extra rest days - regardless of what goes on between Germany and Ecuador, one of whom will be providing England's next opposition.

Rio Ferdinand will win his 50th cap and Frank Lampard will be playing on his 28th birthday. West Ham are also prominent on Joe Coles C.V. and it was the club from the East End of London that produced three stars in the 1966 world beaters. Beckham also hails from that part of the capital city and its these players who now provide an axis of steadiness and experience.

Whatever acres of newsprint are churned out about Michael Owen there is no defence in the world who will want to face him. He can put the ball in the back of the net and has been doing it at the highest level ever since he shredded Argentine aged 18 in a 1998 World Cup game. Sven knows top quality when he sees it.

Hopefully the England fans, many of whom will have paid hundreds of pound for their tickets, will get to see Wayne Rooney in effective action for his country.

His fitness cannot have nearly reached the optimum level but his ability will not have left him. It will be a day when perhaps there will be a glimpse of what England can really do.

The result matters the most, but a little glitz would be good. Come on England. /Premiership Diary

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