Tune in at 2:45 PM ET as England takes on Ukraine. Rob Sturney will be liveblogging for your enjoyment.
I'm Rob Sturney here with one of the two final group stage games of Euro 2012. We've got England versus Ukraine from the Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine.
Today we'll know the exact match-ups for the quarter finals. The winner of Group D will play Italy and the runner up will face off against Spain.
It looks better for England what with Shevchenko out and Blokhin fielding a very young squad. The inclusion of Rooney in tandem with Welbeck means that England won't be playing the more direct game with Carroll as their tall centre-forward. There will be more movement, passing and possession, I believe.
Lineups: England: Hart, Terry, Lescott, Cole, Johnson; Parker, Gerrard, Milner, Young; Rooney, Welbeck
Ukraine: Pyatov, Khacheridi, Mikhalyk, Gusev, Selin; Tymoschuk, Garmash, Konoplyanka, Yarmolenko; Devic, Milevsky
Blokhin replaces Voronin with Garmash in the midfield and Nararenko is withdrawn to the bench to field two strikers, Devic and Milevsky. The wingers Konoplyanka and Yarmolenko, face Milner/Johnson and Young/Cole respectively.
Rooney will play just behind Welbeck, who scored the winner against Sweden.
Men on yellow: Milner, Young, Tymoschuk and Selin.
Speaking of Tymoschuck, you can see his counterpart in Parker: both patrol from deep, limit the supply to the forwards and then set the play in motion, feeding those who can advance the play.
I like "scampering HS team". I guess that's one level ahead of children's "bee swarm soccer".
England is back in their all white kit. Ukraine display an all royal blue outfit.
Ganesh? Like the Hindo elephant-headed god of fortune?
"F•••ing Quintana, the creep can roll, man."
We'll see if Roy Hodgson sends in Walcott today. Jersey Joe twanged his hamstring in training. He was like a shot of Red Bull chasing Adderall in the last game when he subbed on.
A reminder of our quarter-final schedule:
Thursday, June 21 1A v 2B @ Warsaw
Friday, June 22 1B v 2A @ Gdansk
Saturday, June 23 1C v 2D @ Donetsk
Sunday, June 24 1D v 2C @ Kiev
Ah, well, this game will start in about ten minutes. If you meant the quarters, which I've listed below, I think all those games start at the same time as these last round games, DS.
England should keep in mind Ukraine's national anthem: "Shchene vmeria Ukrayiny", "Ukraine's Glory Has Not Perished".
Not I, but I'm writing it down. *hums Talking Heads' 'Once In a Lifetime'*
Righto, here come the teams onto the pitch. Donbass is a very nice arena, I must say.
This should be a very loud match. A homecrowd for the Zhovto Blakytni and the usual, boisterous Three Lions lot.
They've belted out "God Save the Queen" and now the Ukrainians respond in fine voice.
Yes, Ashu, it will be interesting to see how quickly the team responds to his addition and the absence of Andy Carroll.
Poor Shevchenko, he looks disconsolate not being able to play.
Joe Hart is in all scarlet red.
The officiating crew is Hungarian. Maybe we'll see the Magyars at France 2016.
Pyatov is clad in all green.
I believe we'll see wins from both England and France. We shall see.
Bonjour, Shark. Prediction?
