[romanesq]

Joe Cole looks like his mental game has caught up with his physical abilities.
Lampard is due to get his shot on target and Rooney is now active and ready if he can just get the service.

The game can break either way with the skill on both sides.

[jjbrouwer]

When Cole is going forward he can scare the life out of opponents, particularly because he can dive as well as the Italians! I think there will be a lot of freekicks so it is worth playing Beckham, even if his overall contribution has been fairly minimal.

I also like the underrated Carrick in the midfield, breaking up the other team's attacks and feeding the more skilful England players. And even Owen Hargreaves surprised me by how well he played in an unfamiliar defensive role.

When Ecuador finally ventured out of their half and tried to score, England looked capable of catching them on the break. I think that counter-attacking game can surprise the Portuguese.