At this point in the European Championships qualifying tournament, there’s nothing meaningful left for England to do. They have eight wins in eight matches, and their spot atop Group E is absolutely unassailable even with two matches to go. They’re going to France next summer, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. That means this match will essentially be the first “tune-up” for Roy Hodgson and company, aimed not at assuring qualification but at finding the right setup and combinations of players to make England as effective as possible heading into Euro 2016.
England vs. Estonia live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Euro 2016 qualifying
This is basically a friendly for already-qualified England, but Estonia has a chance to surprise their way into the third-place playoff round.
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For Estonia, though, there’s still plenty on the line. They have only 10 points through eight matches, but that puts them just two points behind Slovenia in third place. Estonia have never been to the Euros before, having failed to qualify every time since their split from the USSR. Earning a shot at making it through the third-place playoff round would be absolutely huge. Catching already-qualified England napping would be huge for getting that done, though even if they win here the schedule is against them -- they still have to face Switzerland, while Slovenia only face Lithuania and San Marino. It’s going to take some luck to see Estonia through, but hey, crazier things have happened.
Key player -- Harry Kane (England)
At the moment, it looks as though Kane is incredibly important to the future of the English national team, and in his first few caps with the senior side he’s performed admirably. He seems to have lost his scoring touch of late at club level, though, so a match like this against a team England typically dominate could be just what the doctor ordered in order to get Kane rolling again.
Key factor -- England's midfield
For years, the English national team has had problems in midfield. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard rarely played well together, and they’ve struggled to find a consistently effective setup, whether they’ve tried a two-man pivot or a three-man trio. No matter who starts -- though James Milner and Ross Barkley figure to feature in some way -- you should keep a close eye on how the unit performs in this match
Match Date/Time: Friday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 7:45 p.m. local
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, Egnland
TV: FOX Sports 2 (US), ETV 1 (Estonia), ITV 1 (U.K.)
Online: FOX Soccer 2 Go, FOX Sports Go (U.S.)
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