Panama face England with pride on the line
England on Saturday, the group already decided
Your team plays England on Saturday knowing what's at stake: six World Cup matches, zero points. Panama lost the opener 0–1 to Ghana and then 0–1 to Croatia (2). Those two results have already ended any knockout-stage hope.
Declan Rice could still play
Declan Rice missed training this week but could still face Panama on Saturday (4). England's midfield anchor is not ruled out. That makes a tough job even tougher, Thomas Christiansen's side failed to score across two group matches and now faces one of the tournament's best defensive midfielders.
The low block, Panama's best shot
Emma Hayes wrote in the Guardian about England's need to break down a low block, and that's exactly what Panama will try to set up (1). Sit deep, stay compact, frustrate. It worked for long stretches against Ghana. A stoppage-time goal was the only breakthrough (2). The same discipline is needed against an England side that has already beaten Croatia.
Sources
- 1. theguardian.com — Urgency, magic and Rashford: how England can beat the low block against Panama | Emma Hayes
- 2. theguardian.com — World Cup scouting report: the lowdown on England’s next opponents Panama
- 4. dailycannon.com — Positive injury update on Arsenal player despite training absence