Eight years ago, England were drawn into an extremely difficult European Championship qualifying group and embarrassingly failed to qualify for the finals. A similar thing might have happened this time around if the Euro 2016 field hadn't been expanded, so Roy Hodgson can thank his lucky stars that the Three Lions won't be letting their country down until the finals.
Switzerland vs. England, Euro 2016 qualifying: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Laurence Griffiths
On Monday, England take on Switzerland, and they do so shorthanded. Jack Colback has withdrawn from the squad with an injury and Jordan Henderson isn't expected to be fit to start, so the team is thin in midfield. That'll be a problem against Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland's two playmaking wonderkids.
The Swiss defense is a bit shaky, though, so the Liverpool duo of Raheem Sterling and Danny Sturridge should be licking their chops looking at Philippe Senderos and Johan Djourou.
Key player - Wayne Rooney (England)
Wayne Rooney has been in pretty poor form for a while, including last week's friendly match between England and Norway. But as the most senior and accomplished player in England's team, he's been the focal point of the attack, and will likely start at center forward again against Switzerland. If he's finally the best version of himself, England should win, but he hasn't been that for a very long time.
Key matchup - England’s midfielders vs. Xherdan Shaqiri
Switzerland’s best player usually plays as a winger who cuts inside a lot, looking for opportunities to shoot or play through balls. To keep him from being dangerous, England’s midfielders will need to be in position to close him down, then do so effectively. Since they don’t have a true defensive midfielder on the team and Henderson is hurt, this might be tough.
Match Date/Time: Monday, 8:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: St-Jakob Park, Basel, Switzerland
TV: FOX Sports 1 (U.S. - English), ITV (U.K.), Sportsnet regional networks (Canada), RTS (Switzerland)
Online: FOX Sports GO/FOX Soccer 2 GO (U.S.), ITV Player (U.K.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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