Well, this is it. If we don't beat Slovenia today, chances are we won't qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup. If it's a draw, the only way we'd still be certain to qualify is if the USA draw 0-0 against Algeria and we score at least three goals. If the final result is 2-2 – and the USA draw 0-0 – FIFA will have to draw lots to see whether England or America advances. In other words, barring a miracle, we have to win to go through.
The good news is we're likely to do it. In the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings we're eighth while Slovenia are 25th. Yes, we've been below par in our first two matches, but the law of probability dictates that we'll play better against Slovenia. (Note to mathematical pedants: I'm not suggesting our chances of playing like the eighth best team in the world have increased because we've played below that standard in the last two games, only that the chances of playing better are greater than the chances of playing as poorly.) (To read more, click here.)
