ENGLAND will kick off their World Cup in an INDOOR stadium.
But Thomas Tuchel and his team will be hoping for more good fortune at the AT&T Stadium against Croatia than the last World Cup Finals match the Three Lions played under a roof.
Back in 2006, Sven Goran Eriksson’s side met Portugal – led by the smiling Swede’s personal scourge, Brazil’s Luis Felipe Scolari.
“Big Phil” had been the agent of England’s tournament destruction in 2002, when his Brazil side outlasted Eriksson’s team in the searing heat of Shizuoka, a match won by Ronaldinho’s ludicrous free-kick over David Seaman’s head.
Two years later, in Lisbon, Scolari’s Portugal won a Euro 2004 quarter-final on penalties.
And it was to prove a similar story again in Gelsenkirchen, once against with a semi-final spot at stake.
The game saw England hold on through extra-time despite a red card for Wayne Rooney after only 62 minutes, sent off for stamping on Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho.
Owen Hargreaves gave his finest display in an England shirt as Eriksson’s side again neutralised the threat of Cristiano Ronaldo.
But hopes that the “England curse of the penalty” might finally be lifted – to extend Eriksson’s reign by two more matches – did not materialise.
While Hargreaves scored his spot kick, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher – who took his first one too early – all missed as Portugal won 3-1 on penalties.
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In the aftermath, Eriksson’s farewell appearance saw him urge the world not to “kill” Rooney for his indiscretion.
But England have happier memories of their other World Cup game played indoors.
It was David Beckham’s chance to banish the memory of his red card against Argentina in St Etienne four years earlier.
This time, the clash with the Argentines was a group game – not a knock-out match – in the cycling-helmet resembling Sapporo Dome in the far north of Japan.
When Michael Owen went over in the vicinity of Mauricio Pochettino – whatever happened to him? – with Pierluigi Collina giving the spot-kick, Beckham was handed the chance to even the score.
He did so, too driving low and hard, screaming his joy and relief in the TV cameras.
England – who had opened with a tame draw with Sweden – held on for the win, with Argentina – under the hand of Marcelo Bielsa – on their way back to Buenos Aires before the Last 16 stage began.
