England face improved Panama side following historic 2018 World Cup thrashing
England face Panama at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium this evening, seeking to secure top spot in Group L against a side they famously dismantled in 2018.
Gareth Southgate’s men are hoping to conjure memories of their previous meeting, a ruthless 6-1 victory that marked the nation’s largest winning margin at a major tournament.
That baking-hot Sunday in Nizhny Novgorod was widely viewed as the catalyst for a new era of success, laying the foundation for consecutive European Championship final appearances.
A different challenge awaits in New Jersey
The Central American nation are eager to prove they are no longer the naive debutants who were heavily beaten eight years ago.
Danish manager Thomas Christiansen previously insisted his squad had not travelled to the tournament merely to act as tourists.
Despite being eliminated following consecutive 1-0 defeats by Ghana and Croatia, Los Canaleros are expected to provide a sterner test than their predecessors.
Panama sat 34th in the global rankings heading into this summer, highlighting their significant development since that humbling afternoon in Russia.
Kane seeks repeat of fortuitous hat-trick
The Three Lions captain registered his only World Cup hat-trick during that 2018 encounter, completing his treble when a Ruben Loftus-Cheek strike deflected in off his heel.
The prolific striker playfully acknowledged the fortunate nature of that milestone achievement earlier this week.
It wasn’t my most beautiful hat-trick, to be honest. I’d take that again on Saturday, for sure.
A repeat performance would undoubtedly satisfy an English public that fell back in love with the national team following years of chronic underachievement.
Former Panama boss Hernan Dario Gomez notoriously pleaded with Southgate to slow the game down at half-time in 2018, a request unlikely to be repeated by Christiansen’s resilient outfit today.
