UMVA has learned that England is on the cusp of securing top spot in their World Cup group, with a crucial match against Ghana looming large.
A draw against Ghana would still leave England with some work to do in their final match against Panama on Saturday, but in reality, a draw will likely be enough to see England qualify for the knockouts as one of the eight best third-place sides at a minimum.
Victory over Ghana would guarantee England's place in the next round, while a win over Panama four days later would also see them qualify, even if they don't top the group.
Securing qualification with a game to spare would give England's coach the luxury of being able to rest players against Panama at the weekend, a welcome respite given their condensed schedule.
England's World Cup campaign got off to a late start, owing to their placement in Group L, and they could play six games in the space of 23 days if they reach the final on July 19.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that if teams finish level on points, the head-to-head record between teams will now be used as the first tiebreaker – which is why England will top the group if they beat Ghana and Panama drop points against Croatia.
Ghana will be hoping to cause an upset against England, but a win for England would see them enter the bottom half of the draw, where they would play one of the third-placed sides from Groups E, H, I, J or K.
This includes the likes of Ecuador, Senegal, Saudi Arabia and DR Congo, with the clash set for Atlanta on July 1.
A second-place finish in the group would see England play the runner-up in Group K, while finishing third would mean England play the winner of Group K in Kansas City on July 4.
