opes Dreams and Glory?

日期：2010-06-23 | 阅读：

Hopes, dreams, glory, honour... these are some of the hyperbolic 夸张的 terms likely to be thrown around over the next month as England plunges 投身于 into the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Many sociologists have noted the in

Hopes, dreams, glory, honour... these are some of thehyperbolic夸张的terms likely to be thrown around over the next month as Englandplunges投身于into the excitement of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Many sociologists have noted the increasing importance of football to England'snationalself-image自我民族形象。Unlike the USA, England is not a country where you routinely see the national flagfluttering飘扬着on cars or outside people's houses. But for the past 15 years, international matches have provided anoutlet释放（点）for the country'slatent 潜在的patriotism.

So from June 12, when England play their opening match against the USA, players can expect every move they make on and off the pitch to come undermicroscopic scrutiny严密的审视from the British press. Will they be able to take the pressure?

More importantly, will they be able toreplicate重复/复制England's World Cup victory of 1966?

This event wasetched铭记into the English collective memory by Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous piece of commentary over the closing seconds of injury time in the final. Some peopleinvaded the pitch冲入球场just as Geoff Hurstthumped in猛入一球the goal that put England 4-2 ahead of West Germany. 'They think it's all over' is undoubtedly the most famous sporting line in British English and is now a common phrase in the language.

The closest England have come to holding the golden trophy since then was in 1990, when they lost on penalties to their old rivals West Germany in the semi-final. In 2002 and 2006 England got as far as the quarter-finals before being knocked out.

Fabio Capello is a strict coach

England's captain Rio Ferdinand has indicated that this is not good enough for him. "We only really do our job anddo ourselves justice体现真实水平by winning the tournament. No-one gets remembered for finishing in the semi-finals or the quarter-finals."

It's a sentiment shared by England's coach Fabio Capello. He has established himself as a toughdisciplinarian铁面无情的人,stripping革职Terry of his captaincy following allegations about the star's private life.

We know, as I say, that we're not the finished article and I think that bodes well for the tournament.

Rio Ferdinand, England captain

Capello's team has built up somemomentum高潮in the qualifying matches, winning nine out of their ten games and becoming the top goal-scorers in Europe. Despite this, there is a recognition that they will have toup their game强化球技to overcome favourites Spain, who recently went on anunbeaten run连胜不败的纪录of 35 games, or Brazil, who have won the contest five times, or Argentina, who boast arguably the world's best player in Lionel Messi.

So England are not what Ferdinand refers to as "the finished article" but he thinks this actuallybodes wellfor预示有好兆头them, since it means that no-one is feeling over-confident orcomplacent自满的。

He should know. This is Ferdinand's fourthcall-up应召for a World Cup so the defender is not short of experience, or indeed luck. As he said, "You dream about going to one World Cup as a kid,let alone何况four".