UEFA Euro Cup 2016 England vs Wales: Neighboring Nations to Battle it Out for Group B; Kickoff Time, TV Sched, Live Stream and Ticket Pricing
England Wants to Focus for this Match Versus an 'Old Enemy'
For the Group B of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, neighbors Wales and England will meet on Thursday afternoon, aiming for a slot in the qualifying round.
Battling an Old Enemy
England's head coach Roy Hodgson has made special instructions to his team to remain focused for their match versus Wales. His lineup of players is expected to remain similar to the group he fielded for the 1-1 draw with Russia over the weekend.
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Hodgson is positive that his men will be victorious if they maintain their energy and play as well as they did last Saturday. He also told his team not to get affected by the hype of the matchup, noting that the Welsh players could bring in their A game since it will be a battle with an old enemy.
Wales forward Gareth Bale is expected to lead his team on Thursday versus England. The Real Madrid player will try to showcase his skills and talents as they face their English opponents.
The 26-year-old striker has expressed his plan to capitalize on the weaknesses of the English team to claim victory. "We know their strengths but we also know their weaknesses. We will do our homework and try to exploit those weaknesses," Bale said.
When he was asked about Hodgson's comment that he was disrespectful for saying that Wales was more passionate than England, Bale said his statements may have just been taken out of context and that he did not want to disrespect anyone.
Avoiding Violence During the Match
Another big concern for the matchup is how the players will maintain their cool especially that they are both going against a team whose rivalry dated back to 1984. The competition between Bale and Jack Wilshere has also gotten more tense with both teams expressing that they do not like each other.
The games have not really been peaceful especially with English fans turning violent during the games of the team they support. UEFA has warned England that if their supporters will continue to create trouble, the team will be ejected from the tournament and lose any chance they have at winning the title.
England's team captain Wayne Rooney and even Hodgson have urged their fans to stay calm and avoid starting trouble. Violence and other similar incidents are now unlikely to happen during the game between England and Wales especially with the plea from England's players and management team.
