Males and females alike are looking forward
to David Beckham's arrival in Tallinn (@Getty Images)
Midfielder Ragnar Klavan hopes Estonia can mark their historic
first meeting with England with the first goal of their UEFA EURO 2008T
qualifying campaign.
Klavan determined
Steve McClaren's side come to Tallinn on Wednesday seeking to clamber
back into contention for one of the top spots in Group E. Estonia, meanwhile,
are yet to pick up a point in qualifying and have failed to score in their
first six games. However, their performance merited more than a 1-0 home
defeat against Croatia on Saturday, and influential midfielder Klavan
is hoping they can get a more tangible reward against England. "I
hope we can play our own game, but we are definitely going to fight and
try and score our first goal," he said.
Beckham excitement
The local press have been buzzing over David Beckham's imminent arrival
in Tallinn and the possibility of his wife, Victoria, watching the game
at the A Le Coq Arena. The players, however, are unconcerned. "He
is a human being like anybody else," said left-back Dmitri Kruglov
who will probably line up against the Real Madrid CF star on his flank.
Klavan conceded with a smile: "Beckham's arrival might trigger some
additional interest in the match among Estonian girls."
Poom confident
Goalkeeper Mart Poom, who still plays his club football in England for
Watford FC, feels Jelle Goes' side will be fired up for the game, despite
reports of tensions between the players and the Estonian Football Federation.
"Obviously England are extremely strong on paper but we have taken
confidence from our good performance against Croatia and can continue
from here," said the former Portsmouth FC, Derby County FC, Sunderland
AFC and Arsenal FC custodian.
Piiroja suspended
That confidence may have been undermined somewhat by the news that 2006
Estonian Player of the Year Raio Piiroja will be suspended. Having been
shown a yellow card against Israel in September, the Fredrikstad FK defender
was booked twice and sent off against Russia. After serving a one-match
suspension, his booking on Saturday triggered another one-match ban as
his fourth of the tournament, much to the player's surprise. His team-mates
are planning another surprise for England in Tallinn.
