SPAIN: SOCCER - Andorra faces England in Euro 2008 qualifier

The game against England in Barcelona's Montjuic Olympic Stadium is Andorra's 23rd European qualifier and all of the previous 22 have ended in defeat. England face Andorra on Wednesday (March 28) in a Euro 2008 qualifier that will almost certainly end in victory for Steve McClaren's men, but is unlikely to ease the pressure on their unpopular manager. Whatever side McClaren fields should be victorious against a team they trounced 5-0 in September at Old Trafford and the coach is likely to make a few changes -- mainly by giving starts to Saturday's substitutes. Andorra enjoyed their most successful qualifying campaign for a major tournament in their unsuccessful bid to make last year's World Cup, taking five points from their group matches, but they have shown no sign of repeating that feat this time round. "There's a big difference, but we are going to try our best. We are going to play eleven against eleven in the stadium, and we know is very difficult, but we are going to try our best," said Andorra's captain Oscar Sonejee. The team from the tiny Pyrenean principality have conceded 19 goals and scored just once in four heavy defeats that included that 5-0 drubbing by England in their opening match and a 7-0 hammering in Croatia. Coach David Rodrigo, who has held the job since 1999 and is the second longest serving coach in Europe, has further problems because of injury and suspension to several regulars and has not yet named his final squad. Experienced defender Txema is unlikely to play after straining a muscle at the weekend, while forward Juli Sanchez is also injured. Ildefons Lima, Fernando Silva and Toni Sivera are all suspended. "Andorra needs many conditions to get a good result. To begin with, we must do the perfect match. In the second place, our opponents have to think they've beaten us before playing the match, and finally we need a little bit of luck. These are the conditions we need to win. However, if any rival plays us at their 100% of potential, we stand little chances of doing anything, but if they think we're going to be easy to defeat and they underestimate us, then is when we can surprise them," said Andorra's coach. England's 0-0 draw in Israel on Saturday extended a dismal run without a win to five games, including three qualifiers, during which they have scored only one goal and slipped to a distant third in Group E. It is England's worst run of results for 26 years. "Individually, they are a great national team, you have the Premiership to prove it, they've got 3 teams still going on in the Champions League. Perhaps they are suffering from anxiety, or a too aggressive environment, and now, what they need is tranquillity to achieve their goals," said Rodrigo. Croatia are top on 13 points, Russia are second with 11, while England have eight, the same number as Israel.

ITN Source | March 29, 2007

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