There was little beauty to be found under the lukewarm Spanish sun, but England have their reward. A 2. 0 victory over a deeply obstinate Panama side...
There was little beauty to be found under the lukewarm Spanish sun, but England have their reward. A 2. 0 victory over a deeply obstinate Panama side was enough to secure top spot in Group L, a result that owed more to patience and muscle than any semblance of flowing football. For large swathes of the first half, Gareth Southgate's side looked tethered, unable to find the final pass against a Panama side that had quite clearly parked the bus with the handbrake on. It took the intervention of two of England's most reliable marksmen to break the deadlock after the interval. Jude Bellingham, who had been a peripheral figure for much of the first period, arrived in the box with the intent of a man who knows his moment has come. His finish was crisp, decisive, and it forced Panama out of their rigid low block. That shift in shape allowed Harry Kane to do what Harry Kane does best: find space in a crowded penalty area and apply clinical finishing. The goal was not just a cushion; it was a release of pressure. Yet, for all the relief that comes with topping the group, the performance will not have silenced the doubters. England's transitional play was sluggish, their ability to break down a deep defence often reliant on individual moments rather than collective pattern. You have to ask: how often can they rely on Bellingham's burst or Kane's instinct to dig them out of a hole Against better sides in the knockout rounds, that kind of tactical rigidity will be punished. Meanwhile, across the continent in the group's other fixture, Croatia did what Croatia always do. They found a way. A 2. 1 win over Ghana was gritty, composed, and deeply efficient. Luka Modric rolled back the years, dictating play from deep while his younger legs did the chasing. That result, coupled with England's win, means Croatia advance as runners up. They will be nobody's idea of a comfortable draw. For England, the group stage is done. Top spot is secured. But the real examination begins now. Football has a short memory and this performance, functional as it was, will be forgotten if the team can find a higher gear. Squeaky bum time, as they say, is just around the corner.
