England are about to say their goodbyes. Farewell to the World Cup, adeus to Brazil and quite possibly thank-you and good night to both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
Roy Hodgson has given squad players such as Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw a chance against Costa Rica[GETTY]Yet in the city that witnessed English football's most humiliating tournament defeat, the 1-0 reverse to the USA back in 1950, Roy Hodgson will want others to introduce themselves.
The crumb of comfort England have clung limpet-like to from the wreckage of this campaign is that they possess a group of young players pointing the way forward.
So while a passage into the knock-out stages has long since been deemed impossible, a sense of progress must still be embodied by the likes of Luke Shaw and, in particular, Ross Barkley and Jack Wilshere.
Costa Rica have been the team of the finals so far, fresh and fearless in their hard-running approach, and it will serve as a testing baptism for a trio who will all be making their first World Cup starts. Shaw's status as a bone fide challenger to Leighton Baines has always been apparent even without a hamstring injury to the Everton left-back opening the door for the teenager.
For Barkley and Wilshere, two players who are seen to epitomise a new breed of technical talent, the opportunity to shine and forge a new alliance brings a level of intrigue that overrides what is a dead rubber.
"I'm looking for them to show their talent," said Hodgson, who will station the duo in front of the deeper-lying Frank Lampard so as to best harness their ability to run with the ball and by-pass opponents in a restyled 4-3-3 formation. "Both of them are very good passers of the ball, very good at running with the ball.
"Both, for young players, have good vision for the game. That will improve the more games they play, but they're well advanced for their age.
"This is a chance for them to show they are good players. They have an opportunity to play from the start, and together in a game with other young players around them.
"They can show the faith and hope we have that those boys are ready to make their mark. This could be the first moment they give us an inkling that we are on the right track." England will hope so given it is in midfield that problems will rear in the long run, especially if both Lampard and Gerrard opt to retire.
Roy Hodgson has made nine changes in total from the team that faced Uruguay [ACTION IMAGES]The fact Hodgson admitted yesterday he would want Lampard, at 36, to continue making himself available for the national team just 24 hours after confirming he wants Gerrard to remain as skipper speaks volumes. The England coach took unusual step of reeling off his starting line-up which sees only Gary Cahill and Daniel Sturridge survive from the starting line-up that lost to both Italy and Uruguay.
A reshaped rearguard, containing Phil Jones at right-back, Chris Smalling alongside Cahill and Shaw, will also come under scrutiny given the defensive deficiencies that have been all-too apparent in the opening games of the group.
This is another area of concern. While England fans will, for once, find themselves out-numbered in the Estadio Mineirao, Hodgson must hit upon a formula on the pitch that allows his side to find some of the balance that was missing from those earlier displays in Group D.
Too functional at Euro 2012, England have gone on to forget the basics at this World Cup and controlling matches, rather than merely contributing to the entertainment in them, must be a serious objective from this point forth.
The flipside of ringing the changes is that England could be susceptible to another defeat and Lampard admitted he would speak to the squad's youngsters to warn them about how to deal with any potential fall-out when they return home.
"I hadn't thought about it yet because the tournament is still going," he said.
"You can't always pick it up in the hotel, but I don't think the feeling will be as bad as before.
"There was a lot of negative stuff, personally after Germany and after South Africa as a group. "But I think people see the direction we're going in. People may forgive some of the young boys who have had fantastic seasons and shown glimpses of what they can do.
"I'll happily talk to the boys and let them know that at a young age you have to take things on the chin. You have to have thick skin really quickly in this world we live in.
"I would happily speak to them to the boys and tell that if they get negative stuff next year it quickly fizzles out as long as they apply themselves and play well. That's football. It goes in phases."
This will be Lampard's 106th cap, his eighth as skipper and will be his final appearance at a World Cup. His legacy to the greatest sporting show on earth will forever live on. The 'goal' which was wrongly ruled out against Germany in South Africa brought with it the advent of goal-line technology and an overdue change that has revolutionised officiating.
As for England, evolution would suffice.
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