It's no surprise that Italy is on top of Group D after the first week of play in the World Cup. What is surprising is No. 7 ranked Uruguay lost to Costa Rica in their opener and is the verge of possible elimination. They will be facing England in their next game on Thursday.

How do the teams stack up? Who has the advantage? Let's find out:

Uruguay

Team Uruguay always has high expectations at the World Cup, having won the tournament twice and finishing fourth in 2010. Not being able to qualify for the knockout round would be a devastating blow to the fans.

óscar Tabárez has been managing this team going back to the '80s and is very familiar of their potential. He chose a very good offensive squad with Diego Forlán and Luis Suárez and he knows this will be the most important game they've played in years. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera did allow three goals in their last game, but it was reported that his bed was invaded by a swarm of ants at 2 a.m. before the game. He didn't use that as an excuse for the loss, but it's unlikely that will happen again.

Against the English, Team Uruguay is going to have to play elite defense. England isn't exactly the 1970 Brazilian Team, but they pass the ball very well and they gave Italy (who is very good) a run for their money. This team was built for defense with stars like captain Diego Lugano and Maxi Pereira. Unfortunately, Lugana (who is also the captain) will not be playing because of a knee injury.

England

England is the team that qualifies every year, but can't get over the hump and win it all. Older fans vividly remember the 1966 World Cup when the team won their only championship, which they also hosted.

The team played Italy very well in their opener in Manuas, but almost doesn't count. Their 27-year-old goalkeeper Joe Hart is playing in his second World Cup and he has done a good job in his appearances so far. England's power lies within the middle of the field. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the most accomplished players on the team.

England's weakness is with their offense. Outside of Wayne Rooney, there's not much to fear from opposing defenses.

History

These two teams will be facing each other for the third time in the World Cup. Uruguay holds the 1-0-1 advantage . Uruguay defeated England in the 1954 World Cup and the two teams tied in 1966.

Schedule, Time, Location and When to Watch

This game will be played at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. EDT. To see the game, fans can go to ESPN and Univision. To live stream the game, download the WatchESPN app. More than 60,000 fans will be cheering and attending the game watching anxiously. The Arena Corinthians is the third-largest stadium of the 12 venues.

Prediction

It's going to be tough for Uruguay, even if they are the higher-ranked team. The loss of Diego Lugano can't be overstated. England's 2-1 loss to the Italian team was somewhat impressive, but Uruguay knows they can beat this team with defense. Uruguay wins 2-1.

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