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Having entered the finals through the back door, otherwise known as the playoffs, England starts on a level playing field like everyone else. Six months ago, few would have given Kevin Keegan's side a prayer, but having qualified, England is beginning, ever so subtly, to gain more than a few plaudits. Although its record against Germany is the stuff of tearful legend, the eagerly awaited showdown in Charleroi is increasingly looking like a 50-50 game. "In my opinion, there has never been a better time to play Germany," said Franz Beckenbauer, while another former German coach, Berti Vogts, added: "England were world class for 30 minutes in the warmup game against Argentina, and Kevin is not as naive as people think." By the time they face Germany, of course, England will have had to contend with darkhorse Portugal, which has exactly the type of players, not least Luis Figo, who could trouble England's defense, hardly known for its ability to cope with pace. Having said that, there is still a feeling, whether or not you agree with it, that England could have reached the final at France 98 if it had more luck in St. Etienne against Argentina, and Keegan's squad will not be lacking in team spirit. Crucially, it also has a couple of potential match-winners in David Beckham and Michael Owen, while Alan Shearer's return to form could prove a valuable bonus. No one likes playing England, and this just could be the country's greatest hour since winning the World Cup more than 30 years ago. Alternatively, it could all go up in smoke if Keegan, an excellent motivator and born optimist, flops with his team selection and tactics. Have all the foreign stars in the Premiership improved the quality of England's international footballers or left a worrying void in the development of domestic players? Now is the time to find out. CNNSI.com's Gabriele Marcotti: England may well be the most tactically inept team in the tournament, but it does battle on for 90 minutes and always seems to manage to keep it close. When you do that, there's always a chance of nicking a goal, either on a set piece (with Tony Adams, Alan Shearer and Sol Campbell, there's no shortage of guys who can head the ball effectively and in David Beckham, Kevin Keegan has a free-kick virtuoso) or on the break. It's not always pretty to watch, unless you get excited by bone-crunching tackles, but it's effective. Shearer isn't the same player he was four years ago, but Keegan seems to think he must play at all costs, which means that all England can do is cross its fingers and hope for the best. This is a team that plays on raw emotion, which is why, with a little luck, it should beat Germany, get a decent result against the other two and top the group. After that, it's anybody's guess.
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England
