The English National team is one of the most followed international clubs in the game of soccer. Advancing to the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the European club hopes to improve upon that finish with a major showing at the 2014 Cup that will be held in Brazil next summer. Set to take on Poland to wrap up their Group H qualifying slate, captain Steven Gerrard and the Three Lions hope to simplify their lives with a victory to close out the slate. A win will automatically send England to the World Cup while a loss could force them to enter an eight-team playoff between the top second place finishers from various groups.
"None of the players have mentioned the play-offs,'' Gerrard, who plays club ball with Premier League affiliate Liverpool and is ready to face a Poland team eliminated from qualification, said recently. "We want to seize this opportunity. We want to win. The play-offs are a safety net but the lads want to get the job done and finish it off in style in front of our supporters. It's so important to seize this moment and look back at the Poland game with fond memories."
Poland - currently fourth in Group H with 13 points - will not finish in one of the top two spots even with a win over England but that doesn't mean the players won't be ready to go for a match that still has a large amount of importance. Set to play at Wembley Stadium against a talented England team, coach Waldemar Fornalik hopes to entertain the thousands of Poland supporters that will be at the venue for the final contest.
"It will be a significant impact to have so many fans in the stands,'' he said. Polish fans have a track record of lifting the team in good times and bad."
While Poland's fan will be out in full force, England coach Roy Hodgson knows his team wants to defend their home stadium and earn a qualifying win in front of their fans.
"We are fit and ready," Hodgson said. "History is important in Churchillian terms, but when it comes to sport I don't think it has any relevance whatsoever. Each game is a new game. As far as we're concerned we are focusing on our job and the Poland we will face. This is our game, our stadium and our fans - we are good team and we are going for the win. I think we are getting better all the time. The younger, exciting players are coming in and they add to our team."
England vs. Poland World Cup Qualifier - DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Tuesday, October 15
TIME: 3:00pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: FOX Sports 1
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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