Eriksson has a two-fold problem

If the English coach wants to experiment, he8217;ll have to do so at the cost of a senior player or two

Tuesday presents an intriguing double-bill: Germany vs Ecuador and England-Sweden. All four teams are through, minus major upheavals in Group B, and will be facing each other in the first knockout round.

The two groups have been a study in contrast: While Group A has seen Germany and Ecuador delighting with their positive football, performing way above expectations, Group B has been a disappointment. England have flattered to get six points and head the group while Sweden have shown little of their attacking pretensions.

Indeed, there was even a rumour 8212; and it is probably just that 8212; that England would be happier coming second in the group as that would pit them against Germany, a more predictable opponent, than the unknown quantity of Ecuador. It says a lot for England8217;s current confidence and state of mind that such a rumour has taken any shape; the team8217;s think tank is under incredible pressure not just to win but win with some style.

The six points gained so far have come off goals more than 160 minutes apart and one of them was an own goal; in between, England have huffed, puffed and blamed it on the weather. The questions that Sven-Goran Eriksson 8212; facing his home country for the second World Cup running 8212; is dealing with may keep the mind occupied but are unlikely to yield any solutions.

There are two basic problems: one, that any willingness to experiment with flair will be tempered by the importance of the match. Two, that to do so would be to sacrifice one or two key senior players Lampard and/or Beckham, for example.

The earlier match pits the hosts against the surprise team of the grouyp, and will be a test of Klinsmann8217;s achievements. The German team has been feted here for its attacking styles, for the talents of Lahm and Podolski and Schweinsteiger, but the public is fickle and the potential for embarrassment tomorrow is huge.

There are two reasons why everyone wants England and Germany to be kept apart. One, so that both teams can in theory survive another round and that keeps their supporters8217; interest alive. Two, any Germany-England confrontation could mean trouble among the fans. This has been a largely peaceful World Cup with no serious incident; it could take one flare-up to set off others.

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For now, though, it8217;s time to focus on the football. The World Cup is taking shape.