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The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany marks the 40th anniversary of the year England won their first and only World Cup trophy. It has been four decades since Bobby Moore and company lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy, capturing victory as the host country. Now the England team of today heads into this summer's tournament as one of the favorites to contend on soccer's most illustrious stage.

The first nation of football, England sends a veteran team led by 20-year-old forward Wayne Rooney. Rooney is not the only big name headlining this year's squad. Also accompanying Rooney is striker Michael Owen, along with a spectacular trio of midfielders: Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and the world-renowned David Beckham. Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell lead the way on the defensive side.

Coached by Sven-Goran Eriksson, England fared well in qualifying for the World Cup. After opening with a draw in Austria, 2-2, England won six games in a row, then falling to Northern Ireland on Sept. 7, 1-0. Overall, Eriksson's squad secured themselves first place in Group Six, recording eight victories with only one defeat in ten matches.

England World Cup 2006 Team Odds: Sportsbooks have listed England at 7/1 odds to win the World Cup.

Strengths: England will rely on its veteran leadership to bolster a squad that has the experience to make a deep run at the World Cup title. David Beckham and Michael Owen return to its national team that fell to eventual champion Brazil in the quarterfinals in the 2002 World Cup in Korea. This time they field an even deadlier team and are offensively equipped to outscore any team in the tournament.

Along side fellow striker Owen, Wayne Rooney, only 20 years young, has developed abilities that have him atop the world for his age and has earned his teammates' respect as the leader of the team and a hopeful team captain. Owen and Rooney are not the only focus offensively, as England has one of the deepest sets of midfielders the tournament has to offer. While David Beckham circles the press more than the others, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole have developed themselves through their play in the English Premiership and are ready for key roles on their national team.

Another strength of this England team is their line of defenders, whose play keyed their success in Korea. Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell are the two names that strengthen this unit, but it is newcomer John Terry's play for his club team Chelsea that has validated his spot on England's roster. Team unity is the x-factor that will give this England team a chance to make a play at other powers, Brazil and Germany. Most of the players on its roster have stayed close to home and played in the Premiership for club teams and that has created a sense of comfort in knowing each other's games. That will show when they take the field together this summer in Germany.

Weaknesses: England is one of the strongest teams in the 2006 World Cup. They have a balanced attack on offense and a very sound defensive unit. However, if there were one area that could be an issue it would be the lack of experience from the goalkeeping position. While England has three very capable players, the retirement of former England stopper David Seaman in 2004 could be something to monitor. Seaman career was quite illustrious recording 75 England caps he and made more than 1,000 senior appearances in club and international football.

It will be interesting to see which stopper Eriksson chooses as his No. 1 man for the start of the tournament. Would he be in favor of rotating goalies just for experience or if one struggles early? That will be the biggest question heading into the World Cup. Also, do not downplay England's record versus Sweden in recent years, as they have not faired well. England's head coach Sven Goran Eriksson is Swedish and will always look forward to games against his native country, especially in this high of a stage.

England World Cup 2006 Outlook: England is the heavy favorite in Group B. They will be favored throughout group play and should exit without much of a struggle. England's toughest competition in the tournament will be defending champion Brazil, host country Germany, and perennial power Argentina. Surely England will be disappointed with anything short of the championship, but realistically, if they were one of the final four, they should feel confident in their result.

Head coach Eriksson talked about their draw and pointed to the importance of winning their group. "I had a quick look at the rest of the draw and Germany will probably will win their group, so it's important that we win our group, otherwise we would possibly be meeting Germany very early."

England World Cup 2006 Schedule (all times local):

Saturday June 10, Group B1 England v Group B2 Paraguay in Frankfurt - 15:00

Thursday Jun 15, Group B1 England v Group B3 Trinidad & Tobago in Nuremburg - 18:00

Tuesday June 20, Group B1 England v Group B4 Sweden in Cologne - 21:00

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