Six months ago, England seemed serenely confident, a mood that has darkened after a series of increasingly unimpressive friendly performances. Even Fabio Capello, a man who seldom shows his emotions, lost his temper after a decidedly limp display against the Platinum All Stars. They are on their third captain of 2010 following Rio Ferdinand’s withdrawal with a knee injury and have not settled on a first-choice keeper.

The United States, in contrast, seem more coherent and more certain about their side, although it is still not obvious who will lead their attack. The warm-up games have been relatively smooth with a 4-2 defeat by the Czech Republic followed by two fine victories over Turkey and Australia. Publicly, Bob Bradley’s players seem very sure of what they have to do – stop Wayne Rooney.

Generally, England do not start World Cups well. Since a spectacular 3-1 victory over France in 1982, their opening games have either been drab, laboured victories or worse. This is clearly the toughest fixture of what should be a very straightforward group. Given the defensive uncertainties that surround Fabio Capello’s side, it would be no surprise if they failed to win. Verdict: Draw.