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England on brink of first World Cup first-round exit since 1958 England will be eliminated from the World Cup group stage if Italy and Costa Rica draw on Friday
England face the prospect of suffering a first-round World Cup elimination for the first time since 1958 if Italy and Costa Rica play out a draw in Friday's Group D clash. The Three Lions, who won the World Cup once in 1966, suffered a late 2-1 defeat by Uruguay on Thursday for their second successive loss at the Brazil finals, having opened their campaign with a slump against Italy by the same scoreline. They lie at the bottom of the group and will wave goodbye to the tournament if neither Italy nor Costa Rica manage to win on Friday. In the event of a draw, Italy and Costa Rica would share the summit with four points to gain an unassailable four-point lead over England with one match to spare. England need to beat Costa Rica in their final game and hope Italy win their remaining two matches to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase. They have not suffered a first-stage exit since the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, where they finished third in their group behind Brazil and the Soviet Union. (For more sports newsand updates,followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebook atAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/104244.aspx
