ENGLAND 6, PANAMA 1
Harry Kane roared to the top of the Golden Boot running in the World Cup with five goals in his first two games at the World Cup as England routed Panama with a stunning first half performance to beat them 6-1 to qualify for the knockout phase in style.
The national team became only the fifth side in World Cup history to score five or more goals in the first half of a match – the first time they had ever scored that many goals in a tournament finals game.
They topped World Cup Group F on fair play record – two bookings to Belgium’s three – ahead of a deciding game on Thursday.
Four set pieces – braces for Harry Kane from the penalty spot and John Stones headers – either side of a Jesse Lingard stunner did for Panama in a jaw-dropping first 45 minutes in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.
And Kane completed his hat trick, chalking up his fifth goal in Russia – his 18th goal in 26 appearances for England, when a Ruben Loftus-Cheek shot looped up off his heels and past a wrong-footed Panama goalkeeper.
Veteran Panama midfielder Felipe Baloy hit a popular consolation to leave England’s group stage record identical to Belgium’s going into the final group clash between the two sides.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek in for Dele Alli but Raheem Sterling keeps his place
After controversy over the leaked England team sheet during the week Gareth Southgate made only one change from the side that beat Tunisia last Monday – with Loftus-Cheek replacing the injured Dele Alli while Raheem Sterling retained his place in the side after rumours that Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford would be replacing him.
In any event, Sterling made two of the goals and contributed well to a great team effort by England despite not getting on the scoresheet himself.
Lingard was hurt in an early clash in the Russian heat and England had to defend early as Panama tried to put an early mark on the game with some physical bullying tactics to try and put England off their stride.
Anibal Godoy sliced a chance wide after being put in a good shooting position with just five minutes on the clock – a sign that Panama were going to make their presence felt by England.
Gareth Southgate’s side were more effective at set pieces, though, and put themselves into a strong first half lead after putting away four of them.
England were being harried and held by the Panama defence at set pieces – they had been taking notes on Tunisia’s tactics, but while Harry Maguire was being held back at Kieran Trippier’s corner there was no such attention being paid to Stones whose free header from the Burnley man’s set piece arrowed into the bottom left corner and broke the deadlock.
A first England goal for John Stones during England rout
It was the City man’s first goal for England, the first goal by a Manchester City player at the World Cup since Trevor Francis in 1982, and his team mate Kyle Walker prevented a possible tap-in from a right wing cross later as Panama tried to capitalise on some patchy defending early on.
Panama were reduced to speculative shots – Edgar Barcenas’ curler was wide while Jose Luis Rodriguez later tried his luck when he exploited another gap in the England defence.
Roman Torres and Fidel Escobar combined to bring down Jesse Lingard who was almost through on goal in the 20th minute – a clear penalty.
Harry Kane was unmoved by Panama’s distraction tactics and hammered the ball into the top left corner two minutes later following a VAR review despite a correct guess by Jaime Penedo.
The game was virtually up for Panama with England’s third goal, made entirely in Manchester when Jesse Lingard exchanged passes with Raheem Sterling and curled a 25 yarder inside the back post after just 35 minutes.
Stones scored his second header of the game after Sterling’s shot had been palmed away by Penedo. It had a perfectly executed game plan called for by Jordan Henderson who dropped Kieran Trippier’s free kick from 33 yards up to Kane on the far side of the box whose knockdown reached Sterling whose own chance was saved but Stones was the spare man to tuck away a fully deserved team goal.
With grappling continuing to be an issue against England – generally going unpunished – it was almost a surprise when the referee responded to the Panama tactics by awarding a penalty.
And Harry Kane matched Stones to make it five before the break with his second spot kick thrashed into the same side as Penedo went the other way to join Cristiano Ronaldo and Romelu Lukaku on four goals for the tournament.
Harry Kane gets his hat trick but Panama make sure they don’t lose the second half with consolation goal
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s shot ballooned off Harry Kane’s heels and looped into the back of the net after 62 minutes to put England on top of their group on goal difference.
Barcenas found Michael Murillo who thought he had scored a consolation after beating Jordan Pickford but the ball was cleared off the line as England refused to concede.
England made changes to protect their players, with Kieran Trippier nursing a slight knock, and Henderson swept another England set piece routine wide following Maguire’s knock back.
Torres’ back post header went wide after a Panama corner had been flicked on – but there was joy for Panama soon afterwards when Felipe Baloy, 37 years old, poked home a consolation from Richardo Avila’s free kick with Maguire and Ashley Young playing everyone onside.
Cue massive Panama celebrations at their first World Cup goal, with England already clocked off ahead of a final group game against Belgium to decide who would top the group.
ENGLAND 6, PANAMA 1 – MATCH STATS
England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Henderson, Trippier (Rose 70), Loftus-Cheek, Lingard (Delph 63), Young, Sterling, Kane (Vardy 63)
Booked: Loftus-Cheek
Goals: Stones 8, 40; Kane 22, 45+1 (pens), 62; Lingard 35
Panama: Pendeo, Murillo, R Torres, Escobar, Davis, Gomez (Baloy 69), Barcenas (Arroyo 69), Cooper, Godoy (Avila 63), JL Rodriguez, Perez
Booked: Murillo, Escobar, Cooper
Goal: Baloy 78