On loan striker Jonathan Obika will be hoping to get the England Under-20 squad off to a flying start in Egypt tomorrow night when they commence their involvement in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup tomorrow. Obika will be pushing for a place in the side that faces Uruguay in their opening Group D match, with Febian Brandy, Alex Nimely and Sam Baldock his main rivals for the striking pair.
The South Americans represent tough opening opposition, and are ranked as the fourth best team in FIFA Under-20 World Cup history. Head Coach Brian Eastick is well aware of the challenge his side faces, and told the FA's website that the key factor would be how well England defend during the game:
"We've seen quite a lot of Uruguay and we think they're a very good side. We will have to defend very well because they have some good individual players, so the key to the game will be how well we defend against the Uruguay forwards. But we're looking forward to the challenge and we'll try and make it as difficult as we can."
Eastick is trying not to think too far ahead in a tournament that runs through to October 16th, but he believes England are capable of getting into the knockout stages of the tournament:
"Our objective now is to try and get through the group stages and into the last 16. There is a good team spirit and work ethic within the squad. We haven't been together for very long but the lads have bonded and we're looking to take that into the games."
The British Eurosport satellite/cable channel is providing extensive coverage of the tournament, and will be broadcasting England's match live tomorrow (Saturday) night. Both kick-off and TV coverage starts at 8.30p.m. The British Eurosport channel is typically showing two or three live games a day over the next few weeks, so keep an eye on your TV guide for other matches of interest.
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25 September 2009 : 
