5 teams that England will want to avoid at the World Cup
One team that always has the most scrutiny on itself during every major tournament is the England national side. The Three Lions have been the perennial underachievers at the biggest of stages and always seem to carry a lot of baggage with them to the World Cup.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia offers them a chance to change the narrative under manager Gareth Southgate.
England qualified for the World Cup finals with ease and also, with a game to spare in their qualification group. Barring a draw away to Scotland, Southgate's men have had it easy in their road to Russia. The two 0-0 draws against Brazil and Germany in recent friendlies have caught the attention of the local public towards the current setup.
The 1966 World Cup winners will learn their fate tonight, at the draw which is set to take place at 3 PM GMT/8:30 PM IST at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia.
Based on their October FIFA rankings, England are placed in pot 2 and may be included in the group of death with a number of top sides being present in pot 1. On the occasion of the World Cup draw, let's take a look at the 5 teams that England would want to avoid in the World Cup draw:
#5 Costa Rica
Coming second to Mexico in the CONCACAF qualification group, Costa Rica managed to book their place in the next year's World Cup. With a solid defence and a sturdy midfield, many are predicting a decent campaign for the Ticos in Russia. Costa Rica had a dream 2014 World Cup where they achieved their best ever result by making it to the final eight.
Costa Rica topped their group last World Cup, which had the likes of England, Uruguay and Italy. They were the surprise package in the last edition and if drawn again with England, can prove to be a tough nut to crack.
With Keylor Navas and Gerson Torres at the helm, this Costa Rican side from pot 3 can prove to be a dangerous team for England to draw.
Key Player: Keylor Navas
Manager: Oscar Ramirez
Head to Head: Played 1; Drawn 1