You do realise that was Villa and Torres for Spain? A poacher and the super fast striker.
When England have players of comparable quality to peak era Xavi and Iniesta supplying the bullets, maybe we can start trying to ape that Spain side. Until then, I’d prefer we play a system that suits our players rather than porting in concepts from other successful teams and then wondering why it doesn’t work, when the answer is that we don’t have the players to maximise this. I think DSYoung’s point is well taken actually - playing Vardy and Kane together doesn’t look likely to work. Vardy seems much more like the replacement, should Kane get injured, as Rashford is more likely to do the type of work that Okazaki does for Leicester that will open up space for Vardy (assuming of course that Rashford starts playing more instead of Sterling)
Incidentally, I think this is fine! Not every player in a squad should be in the starting line up - some need to be there for the other eventualities - and this seems like Vardy’s role; Delph strikes me as another one of those sorts of players in England’s squad.
24 nations actually from 4 current confederations (link).
South Korea in 2002 should be excluded from consideration thanks to rampant corruption.
ETA: A contemporary report:
Jesus freaking Christ. Red card in first 3 minutes against Colombia for hand ball in box
That match and the one against Italy were the loudest most intense crowd atmosphere I have ever heard in any sport. Goose bump inducing. But like the Seoul summer Olympics lots of shady shut.
Don’t go back to Colombia Carlos Sanchez. :eek:
The S Korean team had some luck, but the way everyone makes it sound like, the Italians and Spanish would have played the final, but for those dastardly Koreans.
Spain’s backline sucked donkey balls, they let in goals like they were hosting a house warming, they barely won againsy S Africa and needed penalties and Iker Casilias saving three (plus one in normal time) to get past the Republic of Ireland.
The Italians lost to the Croats and barely survived escaping with a draw against Mexico, thanks to a Del Piero late goal, and the two teams stopped even trying to play after that.
I have zero sympathy.
He’s got the ref doing everything he can to bail him out.
Gambate Nippon!!
Colombia shouldn’t push too forward…with only 10 they are vulnerable to counterattack. A 1-2 defeat is easier to overcome than a 1-3 especially in an evenly matched group.
Frodo might want to revisit some arguments. 
Colombia 1 - Japan 2. That was… unexpected.
But getting one man expelled with a direct red card for a truly stupid, stupid handball in the penalty area… having to play with 10 men and with 1 goal against with barely 5 minutes on the clock… well, they did well (and, at times, during the first half, you could almost forget that they were one man down).
The equalizergave colombia wings, but, alas! Japan ended up being better at converting their chances, and got a second goal well into the second half that, in my opinion, completely unbalanced the Colombians.
The Colombian goal was quite fun, though — free kick, the Colombian goes to kick, waits until the guys at the barrier jump, and only then kicks a very low ball that hugs the ground and enters the Japanese goal, with the Japanese goalie stopping it… a few inches behind the line. Cheeky, cheeky Quintero…!
Watching now Poland vs. Senegal… Second half, and Senegal is winning 2-0!!! This is the World Cup of surprises!!
Boy Szeszcny or however its spelled made the worst play of this WC.
And its almost the 24th anniversary of this disaster for Colombia from USA 1994…which had tragic consequences.
Poland is quite the attacker, but they have been pitiful in defense. The first Senegal goal was actually an own goal on the part of Poland, and the second was INSANE… The whole squad of Poland was attacking, way out of their own field… up to and including the Polish goalie. But Poland lost the ball, it ended at the feet of Senegal’s Nina, and he ran like hell, towards a Polish goal and defensive area that were completely empty (!!!). He just had to push the ball into a completely empty goal!! I have not seen something like that at this level of football in my life. This must be really demoralizing for the Polish side.
I agree. The Polish GK gambled and lost. Lucky for them Group H is wide open and one loss can be overcome. Sundays Japan v Senegal match will produce one of the last 16 if There is a winner; the Poland v Colombia match will produce anguish for the loser.
(Of course, the name of Senegal’s striker in my previous post was Niang, not “Nina”. Blame the autocorrect in my tablet!!)
In an argument about football!?!?! NEVER! 
Nice goal by Poland and the Senegalese striker should have gotten a card for simulation.