| Capello summons English spirit |
| Tuesday, 17 June 2008 | |
 The England players may be looking forward to a summer break after a long season with their clubs, but manager Fabio Capello is urging them to put the thought of holidays to the back of their minds for five more days as they prepare for friendlies against the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.Valuable preparation Capello is expected to name his strongest available lineup against the US at Wembley on Wednesday, which means the inclusion of several Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC players who featured in the UEFA Champions League final a week ago. With the FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign beginning in September, the Italian sees these matches as valuable preparation. "Can you make a friendly against the USA intense and important? We will try. It is very important to do well in this game," Capello said. 'Spirit and intensity' "We want to play without fear, with a big show of confidence and in a very English type of spirit," he continued. "Of course, the players won't be fresh but we need to play with spirit and intensity. It is possible to play like that for one hour, maybe 70 minutes. They have to play quick, strong and press the opposition a lot if it is at all possible." Terry captain Capello is expected to offer a first cap to West Ham United FC striker Dean Ashton alongside Wayne Rooney in attack, while Frank Lampard should make his first start under the former AC Milan, AS Roma and Juventus coach. John Terry, meanwhile, has been awarded the captain's armband, with Capello insisting the Chelsea defender is strong enough to put his recent miss in the penalty shootout in Moscow behind him. "I decided before the Champions League final that he would be captain," Capello said. "But, for John, it's possible that it will help him to be captain in this game." Howard belief England defeated Switzerland in their first game under Capello but then lost to France in Paris; US and Everton FC goalkeeper Tim Howard hopes to inflict a second consecutive defeat, saying: "We step on the field expecting to win, we are not a pushover by any stretch of the imagination. We're going to fight them and give as good as we get. It won't be a situation like we are a deer in the headlights." (uefa.com) |
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