Fans Leave Work Early for World Cup Clash
England fans have been leaving work early to see the Three Lions take on the Democratic Republic of Congo for a place in the last 16 of the World Cup. The action is happening in Atlanta, Georgia, but the 5pm kick-off has seen some homeside fans slip away from work for the round of 32 clash.
Sales boss Nathan Charles, 43, found a sure-fire guarantee he could leave work for the daytime kick-off. He travelled to Boxpark Wembley from Liverpool Street in London at around 3pm with two of his colleagues. Standing next to two colleagues who were proudly sporting England shirts and hats, he said: “I’m their boss and I said they could, which means I can.”
Half-Day Plans and Harry Styles
England fan Ellie Thompson and her business partner decided to “give themselves the time off” to nab a spot at the venue. Ms Thompson said: “Yeah we’ve taken a half day to come and see it.” She added that the pair also have tickets to Harry Styles performing next door at Wembley Stadium later. “So we need it to not go into extra time and penalties so we can go in,” said Ms Thompson.
Stakes High for Last-16 Spot
A win at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium would send England into a last-16 tie on Sunday against co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, one of world football’s most famous venues. Kev Tarpey joked he could not say much, having left work early to watch the game. Guinness in hand, he said: “I live round the corner, so I left work, booked the tickets to get in here and there we are.” He was nervous about the game because of “recent performances” where England struggled to break opponents down. “I think we should win comfortably, but with recent performances, I think we might struggle, one or two nil, score late on,” said Mr Tarpey.
International Fans and Optimism
Also in Wembley, Jaxson Bunman, an 18-year-old Australian wearing an England top, said: “You see how big England is with soccer and how much it means to the people and how the atmosphere’s unreal.” A “happy” Insurance worker Jack Williams said he would be settling in with friends to catch the game at a central London sports bar. The 24-year-old said “we were allowed to leave early, they emailed saying finish up early” and added “I’m happy about it” but “sceptical” about England’s chances. In the US, hopes were high for success against DR Congo. Speaking alongside his 62-year-old sister Sally, Andrew Whetton, from Nottingham, told the Press Association his score prediction was “3-0 – we’re not giving them a goal”. Sally, who now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, added: “I’m going to give them a goal. I’m going 4-1. A consolation goal just for showing up.” Of his feelings about how England might progress through the tournament, Andrew, 59, said: “Not so much for the next round. That could get interesting. They (Mexico) were a bit quick last night – but I think we can slow them down. We can drag them down to our level.”
