Among the 32 teams competing in the coming World Cup, England will be one of the centers of attention, and manager Sven-Goran Eriksson holds the key to the team's success.
Eriksson took over the post in January 2000 from full-time manager Kevin Keegan who resigned following a loss to Germany at home halfway through the World Cup qualifying campaign. Eriksson celebrated his first game in charge with a 3-0 win over Spain in a friendly at Villa Park on Feb. 28, 2000, and went on to rescue England from disqualification.
His success with England through the qualifying stage and beyond has drawn more attention and higher expectations from the fans ahead of the World Cup. But Eriksson said he enjoys the pressure and his job.