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Preview: Sensational England up against steely Panama

By Harneet Singh Sethi

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JUNE 23: (L-R) Kieran Trippier, Jamie Vardy, John Stones and Danny Welbeck John Stones are seen during the England training session on June 23, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - JUNE 23: (L-R) Kieran Trippier, Jamie Vardy, John Stones and Danny Welbeck John Stones are seen during the England training session on June 23, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /
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It was a burden off the shoulders. It was an expectation met. It was the perfect start. England’s 2-1 win over Tunisia was much more important to the players themselves than it was to a nation, for they needed a reward to please their graft, and they now they had got one.

It wasn’t just another win against a minnow, it was the first genuine victory on a big stage for this young, sexy, chirpy group of individuals that’s here to have some fun with a football. They go again.

The consensus would only suggest that Panama, who now stand in England’s route to presumably bringing it home, are underdogs, and therefore there for the taking; however, it’s not that easy.

This is going to be a tough test of patience, of perseverance, and of England’s new-found panache against a side that’s tailor-made to frustrate, tire and cause to implode. This is going to be a battle between an English Johan Cruyff and a Colombian Jose Mourinho.

England win and they’d be all but guaranteed a spot in the round of 16; they fail and they face the prospect of having to do more than they would ideally like against Belgium. While there’s little likeliness of being faced with such a scenario, if it does arise, you know where the jitters would be.

VOLGOGRAD, RUSSIA – JUNE 18: Harry Kane of England celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between Tunisia and England at Volgograd Arena on June 18, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
VOLGOGRAD, RUSSIA – JUNE 18: Harry Kane of England celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group G match between Tunisia and England at Volgograd Arena on June 18, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images) /

One to watch

Just as it started to feel like another one of those nights when the Three Lions were supposed to put on a show but they fell way short of achieving that, Harry Kane rose to the occasion like a true leader would. It wasn’t just a brace, it was his way of announcing that he and England knew how to fight adversity.

It’s clear now that Captain Kane is the true superstar of this team – he’s the Lionel Messi and he the Cristiano Ronaldo. It isn’t just the goals that back the argument, but the habit he has developed to be the first to respond when the situation demands.

And the situation may well demand again when England face Panama, a team that is intent on putting bodies on the line. Expect Kane to thrive.

Quotes

"“My advice for the team would be to stay composed. We came across a lot of tricks from the Panama side and others in qualification; I’d call them fouls, but a lot of things that go unnoticed, little pulls of the shirt or trying to stop your momentum if you’re looking to pace forward,” said Jobi McAnuff.“There were little fine details they will try to do to put you off your game, and you must keep a level head. We suffered in one game, getting a man sent off through frustration. It’s something I’m sure England are used to facing, but Panama are clever in that sense.”They’ve been around the block, there’s a lot of experience, and they are very, very street-wise. England have a lot of young lads in the squad at the moment, and it’ll be an interesting challenge”."

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JUNE 21: Ruben Loftus-Cheek in action during the England training session on June 21, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)
SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA – JUNE 21: Ruben Loftus-Cheek in action during the England training session on June 21, 2018 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images) /

The team

All of the 31 teams at the FIFA World Cup now know that Marcus Rashford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek would be given their chance to be the destroyers-in-chief at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, thanks to a bit of ineptitude from a certain section and the inability to anticipate naivety of a certain someone – but that ain’t no matter, for acts like these have become far too frequent to be surprised by.

Regardless, the duo’s inclusion, forced by an injury to Dele Alli and an indifferent performance by Raheem Sterling, may just hand Gareth Southgate his perfect XI.

As the game progressed against Tunisia, it became clearer and clearer that Sterling wasn’t functioning well in the set-up, and that the midfield needed a marshal – someone who could pass and dictate. On came Rashford and Loftus-Cheek and their impact won England all three points.

Next: Leicester City – The deadwood must go

The Chelsea midfielder in particular gave much food for thought with a late show, demonstrating how his way of playing the game could bring more balance to the team in a lot of ways. If he does do well – and there’s no reason to believe he won’t – against Panama, Alli could find it impossible to make it back into the side even if fit.

Possible XI: Pickford; Maguire, Stones, Walker; Young, Loftus-Cheek, Henderson, Lingard, Trippier;  Rashford, Kane.

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