Leaders England on the brink

As the four Group A teams prepare for their second round of UEFA European Under-17 Championship matches, it is England who lead the way after their 3-2 victory over Finland on Saturday.

Dutch test
England face the Netherlands today, knowing that another victory would all but guarantee their passage into the quarter-finals. The Dutch side emerged with only a single point from their game against host nation Denmark, the match ending in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Farum Park.

Hogg worry
England's only injury worry concerns central defender Chris Hogg, who is doubtful for the match after picking up a shin injury. His team-mates will be in confident mood for the match, despite not being at their best in the win against Finland in Gladsaxe. Mark Smyth, Ross Gardner and Sean Doherty were all on target for Dick Bate's side, but the coach is expecting a different game against the Dutch.

'Open match'
"Holland spread the play very well, they have a different way of playing to Finland and I think it will be a more open match," Bate said. "All the groups are tough but Group A is very hard. Denmark are the host nation and will be well supported, Holland are always an awkward team to play and Finland have improved immeasurably over the last 12 months."

Elmas to start?
Ruud Kaiser, the Netherlands' coach, is hoping that his side can improve their defensive record after conceding four against Denmark. And he is also set to give Ferdi Elmas a place in his starting line-up after the AFC Ajax player scored his side's fourth goal on Saturday.

'Rock solid defence'
"The one thing I want to see this time is a rock solid defence," Kaiser said. "I want to rotate my players for this match and it is likely that Ferdi Elmas will play from the start. His form was so good against Denmark that I cannot afford to let him stay on the bench this time."

Finland must win
In the day's other Group A match, Finland play Denmark knowing they must win to have any chance of progressing. Coach Timo Liekoski saw his team take a first-minute lead before losing by the odd goal in five against England and views the match against Denmark in Farum as a critical fixture for his side. "We played Denmark in Poland recently and lost 3-1," he said. "They are a very good team with some very skilful players but I believe that this match will be the key game in a very tough group for us."

Low expectations
Liekoski has a full-strength squad to choose from and he is sure to field a well organised and physical eleven, but he is not setting his sights too high in this year's competition. "We have come a long way in the last few years and we are now in a position where we can compete with the likes of England and Italy," Liekoski added.

'International experience'
"We have certainly closed the gap on our rivals in terms of quality. It is unrealistic for us to think we can win the tournament. We would ideally like to reach the quarter-finals but I have told my players that this group is the best, the most challenging and the strongest group of all. This competition will give my players some excellent international experience."

'Challenge for the title'
Denmark are sure to have an impressive support against Scandinavian rivals Finland but coach Hans Brun is hopeful that his young side can shake the nerves they showed against the Netherlands. After leading 3-1, they then trailed 4-3 before Kasper Lorentzen claimed a point in the dying seconds.

'Play our own game'
"It doesn't matter who we play, we always have to try and play our own game," he said. "Whether we are playing a technical side or a 'kick-and-rush' team. I really hope that my players will no longer be nervous as this game will more or less determine the outcome of our challenge for the title. I was quite pleased with our first performance but we have to fill in the gaps between the defence and central midfield against Finland."