07:25 pm: Well, there’s not much else to say about that game other than well done, England and well done, Harry Kane and well done, Panama fans. It’s now time to move on to Group H where two fantastic games await us – first up, Japan vs Senegal. Head over to our live blog of that game here.
FULL-TIME, ENGLAND WIN 6-1: England are through to the round of 16! The England-Belgium game decides the group positions. And Panama will have one more match against Tunisia to keep the party going in Russia. They were poor by most accounts today but World Cup appearances are special. And they deserve to enjoy it till it lasts just like they did after Baloy scored in the second half.
Into the stoppage time: Four minutes left in the game as England come close to a 7th goal from a free-kick.
After 87 minutes, England 6-1 Panama
Panama continue to attack on the pitch while their fans continue to party in the stands. And English fans too, in full voice. You know what, if all the fans in the stadium are having a great time – which we think they are – then that’s what it is all about at the end. Not the best of games to watch, but hey.
82nd minute: Panama fans are going nuts after that goal! Moment of the match? Even in the drabbest of games, the World Cup gives you a moment like this!
78th minute: GOALLLLLLL, PANAMAAA! Isn’t that lovely. Wild celebrations in the stands as Panama score their FIRST EVER WORLD CUP GOAL through Baloy. Even the coach gives out a smile. A moment to remember for the Panamanians surely. There is a party in the stands now!
After 76 minutes, England 6-0 Panama
Oh, hello! Couple of nervy moments for England now. First Pickford awkwardly knees the ball after rushing out of the box. And then Torres goes close as well. Panama doing well at the end here to get their first World Cup goal.
73rd minute: Oh, chance Henderson! The man with the arm-band now that Kane is off the pitch (claiming goals that belong to him elsewhere) with a sweet, sweet volley off a corner that just curls away. That would have been a pretty cool icing on this cake.
After 71 minutes, England 6-0 Panama
All subs done. Kieran Trippier is off, and Danny Rose is on. Panama make two subs. That’s all we are going to say about that. (In Forrest Gump’s tone)
After 68 minutes, England 6-0 Panama
PICKFORD MAKES A SAVE! PICKFORD MAKES A SAVE! Murillo with a chance to turn a bagel into a breadstick after he is released down the right flank. PIckford rushes out and saves well. By our account, Panama should be given 1.5 goals now for gamely trying.
64th minute: Substitutes on for England as Kane and Lingard are replaced by Vardy and Delph. Panama remove Godoy and bring on Avila.
By the way, with Wimbledon around the corner... it’s a bagel, 6-0 to England!
61st minute: GOALLLL, ENGLAND! HAT-TRICK HERO HARRY KANE!
Much like the running joke during the last Premier League season, Harry Kane will claim a goal he didn’t have much to do with. Loftus-Cheek takes a shot, it hits Kane and deflects into the net. VAR checks for off-side, which will decide if Kane is being substituted or not. Goal stands, and Harry Kane comes off for a standing ovation!
After 60 mins, England 5-0 Panama
Genuinely not much to report, except that Panama finally have a decent spell of sustained possession, largely playing sideways passes though. England have a chance to break, but they brake instead. (Not sorry at all... we are trying to keep ourselves entertained here)
54th minute: A corner cleared away by Panama. That’s a moral victory for them, surely.
By the way, a word of appreciation for Kieran Trippier, who was a surprise choice for many for set-piece duties, but his deliveries have largely been on point.
54th minute: A corner for England... surely not again?
51st minute: Oh look , a corner for Panama. More due to Kyle Walker’s insistence on not clearing the ball out more than anything though. Delivery is decent but cleared away. Panama trying to press England high up.
After 48 minutes, England 5-0 Panama
England keep the ball in their own half for a while before Kane makes a foray forward. That move breaks down and Panama break well down the right flank but the final ball is poor. Sterling is then through on goal, but the goalkeeper rushes out to make a good tackle.
46th minute: Alright let’s do this. We are back for what promises to be a pointless 45 minutes of football.
HALF-TIME: This is just a brief recap.
John Stones: 8th and 40th minute
Harry Kane: 22nd and 46th minute
Jesse Lingard: 36th minute
There’s only so much you can analyse when the match is so one-sided. England, by far, the superior side. And Southgate will have an eye on resting his big players before a Panama player does something brainless and makes a stupid tackle.
HALF-TIME: England have ran riot over Panama who have been, pardon our language, p**s-poor in the half. They started the game trying to be physical, but after a point of time, it descended into madness. Two penalties conceded, two more goals off set-pieces, plenty of whinging, plenty of arguing with the ref. Geez.
Half-time and it’s 5-0 to England: Only the 5th time in World Cup history that a team have scored five in one half. Panama can only hope and pray to avoid a WC embarrassment here. Gareth Southgate will be a pleased man.
45th minute: GOALLLLL ENGLANDDD! This is madness. Kane thunders it home, same spot, with the goalkeeper heading the other way this time.
What are Panama doing? This is a rugby tackle on Kane in the box. Madness.
44th minute: PENALTY ENGLAND! Oh dear.
39th minute: GOALLLLL ENGLAND! STONES WITH HIS SECOND! ENGLAND ARE RAMPANT! (Did we already say that? Unsure... but they are) Panama’s defence is a shambles. A well-worked set-piece sees Raheem Sterling free two yards from goal when he hits the GK, but Stones heads home the rebound. VAR checks for offside, and after a delay, goal stands confirmed!
36th minute: GOALLLLL, ENGLAND! Jesse Lingard, with his shooting boots on! And the party can begin... England’s first goal from open play in this World Cup and it’s a wonderful curler from outside the box by the Man United youngster.
32nd minute: Macguire goes close. He’s stretching to get his head on this one cross at the left far-post, but manages to do so and his header across loops just over the crossbar. England dictating proceedings here.
STAT CHECK: On England’s flying start...
After 25 minutes, England 2-0 Panama
England are well and truly on their way to the round of 16 with four set piece goals. But just a word on how start-stop this game has been. The Panama players have constantly been at the referee’s ears during the setpieces – if the referee is keeping a strict check, there should be plenty of added time just for the amount of time that has been spent without kicking a ball about in this opening period.
22nd minute: GOALLLLL, ENGLAND! WHAT A POWERFUL PENALTY! After a long, long wait (goodness, the Panama players whinge a lot!) Kane fires one with the force of... *excuse us* .... an hurricane!
20th minute: PENALTY, ENGLAND! Lingard fouled in the box by two defenders. Clumsy defending. Utterly clumsy.
16th minute: The early goal has opened this game up (might be bad news for Panama in the long run) and Barcenas has a crack at goal from distance, his left footed curler has Pickford scrambling but goes wide. Panama have made a bright response to going down early, to be honest. The Panama No 8 was afforded far too much space there.
14th minute: Harry Kane is released through the middle after England win the ball back high up, but the through ball is a touch heavy and the GK comes and collects.
After 12 minutes, England 1-0 Panama
Kyle Walker made a crucial clearance when Panama broke down the right flank soon after England’s goal. Saw the low cross early and got his foot down in time. Crucial intervention too. Perez was waiting to tap that one in.
9th minute: GOALLLL, ENGLAND! JOHN STONES! The set-piece masters at Russia 2018, eh? Another corner, another goal for England. John Stones with his first goal for the Three Lions. Macguire was at the center of attention before the corner with plenty of argy-bargy going on in the box but Stones found himself free and heads home. Rousing start for England.
7th minute: Panama barely tested Belgium in the opener – they have scored just one goal in their last 6 matches. But that was a big early chance to at least register a shot on target. England break... and have a corner.
5th minute: Oh what a chance, Panama! Godoy finds himself charging in from midfield, and is found by a good pass, tries to shoot first time and skews it horribly wide. That was a great chance to test Pickford. Had more time than he thought, did Godoy. Bad miss.
4th minute: A lengthy break in play. Looks like Lingard came worse off in that duel... the medics take their time to make sure he is alright to continue. And he is.
1st minute: The countdown is done... and we have kick-off! England start with keeping possession. And the break down the right flank, ends in a free kick after some head-tennis inside the Panama penalty area. Lingard and Gomez are down after a clash of heads.
05:28 pm: Panama coach Hernan Gomez and England coach Gareth Southgate were in the dugout - though Gareth Southgate as an unused substitute - when England beat Gomez’s Colombia side 2-0 at France 1998. Gomez was also in charge when the Three Lions met Los Cafeteros in 1995, a match remembered for Rene Higuita’s trademark scorpion kick.
05:26 pm: The national anthems are underway... this is the first meeting between these two sides.
05:25 pm: England are looking to win their first two World Cup group games for just the third time in their history. It kind of also tells you why the pressure is off. The first two times was in 1982 and 2006 respectively.
Superb record: Since suffering a historic defeat by USA in 1950, England have remained unbeaten against CONCACAF representatives in the global showpiece, collecting two wins and two draws.
Not easy being England: England are looking to win their first two World Cup group games for just the third time in their history. It kind of also tells you why the pressure is off. The first two times was in 1982 and 2006 respectively.
Tinkerman! England looked very good in their first game – quick, precise and deadly but Southgate still wants a change.
04:30 pm: Voila, the lineups are here! And after much unnecessary drama, Sterling does retain his place. Loftus-Cheek starts as well.
04:28 pm: Handed a winning start for the first time in a major tournament for 12 years by captain Harry Kane’s injury-time winner against Tunisia, England can look forward to Sunday’s meeting with Panama with a rare sense of World Cup calm. But Kane’s heroics in Volgograd papered over the cracks of his team-mates’ failure to find the net with a host of simple first-half chances.
Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard were particularly culpable and Kane saved an inquest into England’s profligacy and ponderous second-half performance. In contrast to his 23-goal season at club level for Premier League champions Manchester City, Sterling now hasn’t scored in his last 21 internationals.
However, Rashford refuted suggestions England are too dependent on Kane for goals.
“I don’t think that’s happening in this group,” said the Manchester United striker, who admitted to being an admirer of Kane’s ability to be in the right place at the right time.
“He gets himself in great positons. If we can find him, we will, and, more often than not, he’s going to score.”
At 20, Rashford is just one of a host of exciting young English talents as Southgate took the third youngest squad in the tournament to Russia.
04:21 pm: Have you recovered from last night? No? To be honest, we are still reeling. One of the footballing world’s eternal cliches is ‘never write off the Germans’ and on Saturday night, they once again showed us why.
Read more from Ashish Magotra here.
04:15 pm: Hello all and welcome to The Field’s live blog of the first match on this Sunday at Russia 2018. An England game at the World Cup is always highly anticipated (even if they turn out to be underwhelming, but that’s for another day) – and today’s no different. World Cup debutants Panama await Harry Kane and Co, who eye their second win in two matches and confirm their progress to the round of 16.