England will have to play strong opponents this World Cup, and the venues of where the matches will take place are important. First, it is interesting to see where the English team plays, and second, will the distance and the weather affect their performance.
England vs Italy, Manaus, June 14
The kick off game in the group for England will be against Italy, in the city of Manaus. It will be an interesting game overall, the stadium Arena da Amazonia has the capacity of 46, 000, and is one of the new stadiums of the tournament. The construction took four years.
There were doubts if the stadium would be able to host the World Cup, because of its late opening. It was supposed to be unveiled in February 2014, however, the actual date was March 2014. Nevertheless, the new, shiny stadium, could be lucky for the English team.
The stadium is located in the northern part of Brazil, and is near the Amazon River, and the location, the city Manaus, is known for its extreme heat. The English team has been preparing for the hot weather, by recently playing in Miami’s heat against Ecuador.
Furthermore, they have been practicing in sweat pants and jackets to be better equipped and ready for the hot weather that waits ahead
It will be difficult for Roy Hodgson’s men to play in the heat against the Italian side, however, England should do their best and get the three points.
England vs Uruguay, San Paolo, June 19
England will be meeting up with Uruguay in San Paolo. The distance between Manuas and San Paolo is 1,670 miles. That means that England will have time to prepare for the crucial match up with Uruguay, as they will have four days between their first and second games.
The arena in San Paolo is Arena de San paolo, or as it is usually called Arena Corinthians. Its initial capacity was 48,234, yet for the World Cup it has been extended to 61,606. The stadium is really big and will have a lot of fans attending.
It will be very difficult for England to play at this stadium, because there will be a lot of Uruguay fans, as the games will be held in their neighboring country. It will be really difficult to beat the crowd, and the aura, as Uruguay will be having the 12th man during the game.
Nevertheless, England will have the time to rest and should perform at their best and get all three points
England vs Costa Rica, June 24, Belo Horizonte
Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto, is the last destination of the English squad during the World Cup group stages. This stadium has a rich history, and recently was a part of FIFA Confederations cup 2013.
It has the capacity of 61,120 and it was opened in 1935, and renovated in 2012. This arena is an interesting venue and will be good for the last game of the group. The English fans should enjoy the last game of the group stage and hopefully it won’t be their last game at the tournament.
