They may seem a particularly unwanted blast from England’s past. Costa Rica were their final group-game opponents in the 2014 World Cup. Roy Hodgson’s side may have imagined it would be a chance to book their place in the knockout stages.
Instead, while Costa Rica had already secured their spot in the last 16, England were eliminated before a stalemate in Belo Horizonte. Hodgson fielded a second-string side in what proved Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard’s last internationals.
A reunion on Tuesday night is England’s final game on home soil before they leave for Russia. But this will be less about goodbyes than hellos.
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More from 2018 World Cup:
Guides, predictions, podcasts, galleries and where to watch in UAE
The players and managers with UAE links at World Cup 2018
Group G guide: Belgium have bags of talent, expectations low for England
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“Trent Alexander-Arnold will get a debut,” manager Gareth Southgate said. If Kieran Trippier’s excellent display in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Nigeria puts the Tottenham Hotspur man in pole position to occupy the right wing-back role, Southgate is adamant the 19-year-old Liverpool player could displace him.
“I would have no qualms of putting him into the opening game,” he said. “He is here on merit, his quality has been top and he has settled into the group really well. It is a huge moment for him, but fully deserved.”
That willingness to consider everyone has underpinned Southgate’s approach. Selection no longer seems the closed shop it felt under some of his predecessors.
If one way to prepare for a tournament is to fine-tune the first XI, Southgate appears to have embraced the alternative approach of involving everyone.
“One of the keys of us getting through these two matches was to try and make sure every member of our squad gets a significant member of game time," he said. "You want to know who is in form and any time a player has 10 minutes or 90 minutes on the field, they have an opportunity to make a statement in the way they play."
While Jordan Pickford seems to have won the battle to be the first-choice goalkeeper, Jack Butland will start on Tuesday. The uncapped Nick Pope is likely to replace him at some stage but the Stoke City goalkeeper is determined to take his chance.
“I will keep fighting and I'll pushing and staking my claim to be the No 1,” he said.
A meeting at Elland Road in Leeds is a rare England home game away from Wembley and Southgate has pledged to field five Yorkshiremen. As Danny Rose, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Fabian Delph and Jamie Vardy all hail from the county, he has enough to choose from. As only Walker seems a certainty to start against Tunisia in Volgograd, they have plenty to prove.
Sadly, it will be the Rose family’s last chance to see the left-back in action in the flesh. A victim of racist abuse when representing his country at Under-21 level in Serbia has decided not to take his relatives to the World Cup. The Russian record of racism was a deterrent.
“I sympathise 100 per cent,” Southgate said. “It was very clear he felt let down by the authorities, which was very sad to hear. Fines seem to have not had any impact.”
He has picked a squad he described as “one of the most diverse that has gone to a World Cup” and added that racism is “completely unacceptable. We have this situation because of a lack of education, generally speaking. We are decades into having a multi-racial society, and we are far from perfect. And other nations are sadly still not at the same stage that we are.”
Finding the appropriate response is difficult. Southgate is wary of the possible repercussions.
“In an idealistic world people would say to walk off the pitch but that means we would be thrown out of the tournament which many people would agree with,” he said. “I don't think the players want that."
England were expelled on footballing grounds in 2014, their results too wretched to stay at the World Cup. Now they are looking for a lengthier stay, even if it means dealing with bigotry.
The view from The National
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
RESULTS
2.15pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Shawall, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer)
2.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Anna Bella Aa, Fabrice Veron, Abdelkhir Adam
3.15pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner AF Thayer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
3.45pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner Taajer, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
4.15pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner Jawaal, Jim Crowley, Majed Al Jahouri
4.45pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner Maqaadeer, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Premier League results
Saturday
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Cardiff City 2 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Bournemouth 2
Leicester City 3 Fulham 1
Newcastle United 3 Everton 2
Southampton 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Manchester City 3 Watford 1
Sunday
Liverpool 4 Burnley 2
Chelsea 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ARGENTINA SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Franco Armani, Agustin Marchesin, Esteban Andrada
Defenders: Juan Foyth, Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Nicolas Tagliafico, Ramiro Funes Mori, Renzo Saravia, Marcos Acuna, Milton Casco
Midfielders: Leandro Paredes, Guido Rodriguez, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Roberto Pereyra, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di Maria
Forwards: Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Lautaro Martinez, Paulo Dybala, Matias Suarez
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
