World Cup Paper Review: England Reach for Stars, Spain's Worldwide Humiliation
Saturday's back pages might just be the most jingoistic of the year, with England set to get their World Cup campaign underway later in the day.
The mood is broadly similar among the tabloids and broadsheets—with some even opting for identical (or very close to identical) headlines as Roy Hodgson's men prepare to face Italy in Manaus.
The Sun kicks things off by saying "Reach for the Stars," pleasingly option for a riff on The Lion King as Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge et al. get ready to do battle in the jungle:
The Mirror, perhaps showing great minds think alike, go for a remarkably similar spread:
Striking a slightly different tone is The Guardian, going with the sentiment that England will ensure they come home with "no regrets" about their performance:
The Daily Express goes for a twist on that same pledge, leading with the idea that the players have promised to do their country proud:
The Star goes for something remarkably similar. Do the tabloids only have a limited number of options to choose from?!
The Independent offers a slight variation, at least, saying that England will "go for the jugular" when they come up against Andrea Pirlo and Co.:
The Telegraph, believing that less can be more it seems, goes with the simple "Believe":
And finally The Times goes with...Joe Root's double-hundred against Sri Lanka at Lord's?! What is this, cricket? Don't they know there's a World Cup going on?
Elsewhere, of course, the big story was Netherlands' emphatic 5-1 victory over holders Spain in Salvador. Here's a selection of the reaction from both countries: Marca and El Pais' covers need little translation ("Worldwide humiliation," "Fix this," "Worldwide misfortune") while De Telegraaf go with "Majestic Orange":
