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England suffered a huge blow in theirbuild-up to the European Championships after losing two seniormidfielders forced to quit by injuries, with no one knowing exactlywhat to expect from the long-time underachieving favorite thissummer. In one of the toughest groups including old rival France, two moreunpredictable teams Sweden and the co-host Ukraine, England,shocked by the former manager Fabio Capello's departure, the mainstriker Wayne Rooney's first two-match ban and the successiveinjuries of leading players, has so much uncertainty that bothlocal fans and reporters were more realistic about the team'soutlook. After losing Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry, England has only twoexperienced players in central midfield, who are Steven Gerrard andScott Parker. The duo will be a leading pair to lead the Three Lions in theirclassic 4-4-2 formation which has been proved in their finalwarm-up before the tournament on June 2, beating Belgium 1-0 atWembley. The manager Roy Hodgson has clinched two morale-boosting wins in arow after he took the job on May 1. Both against Norway and Belgium, England seemed prepared to concedeto the amount of possession, which was a risky change of strategyas all the leading teams in the world today pay more attention tothe midfield control and are apt to 4-5-1 formation. However, with solid defence and tactical discipline stressed by thenew manager, England suggests that they may not be favorite likethe past years but also be a tough and pragmatic side to fight fora last-eight berth. Though losing a leading position in the world after the theirhumiliating failure and turmoil in South Africa, France, thetwo-time European champion has gradually turned on a new page underthe rebuilding job of Laurent Blanc in the recent two years. After losing his first Euro qualifier in charge, Blanc coachedFrance to an 18-game unbeaten run including latest win overGermany, which instilled the winning mentality and confidence tothe brand new squad. Following the world's football trend, France is apt to a 4-2-3-1formation which may help them win the midfield battle againstEngland in the first group match. The two traditional powers then will resume their long-standingfootball rivalry and grabbing at least one point will bring a solidstart for each side. Sweden has only one top star but also one undisputed leader ZlatanIbrahimovic in their trip to Poland and Ukraine in this month. The 30-year-old, one of the best center-forwards in the world, haslifted nearly all the big trophies in Europe with the clubsincluding his current AC Milan, the former played Barcelona,Juventus and other big names. However, the lofty striker of Sweden has fewer successes in hisnational side compared to his club triumphs. This time might be Ibrahimovic's last chance to lead his nationalside to glory in a major tournament. Sweden is less hot in the group but still has the strength to upsetthe favorites as they once kept a 43-year unbeaten run againstEngland only being ended last November. Ukraine will need a miracle to progress to the quarter-finals asinjuries and a lack of promising talents have hampered theco-hosts' chances even if they have home advantages. As England and France are much stronger opponents, Ukraine need tobeat Sweden in the opening match on June 11 to keep theirlast-eight hope more closer. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Titanium Rod Manufacturer , Hafnium Crystal Bar, and more. For more , please visit Titanium Welding Wire today!
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