England beat Panama 2-0 on Saturday night at the New York/New Jersey Stadium to secure top spot in World Cup Group L, setting up a potentially easier last-32 tie against the best third-placed team from Group I, J or K. Jude Bellingham produced a man-of-the-match performance in the second half, scoring one goal and setting up another for Harry Kane after a frustrating first 45 minutes.
Thomas Tuchel the Tinkerer
Manager Thomas Tuchel made five changes to the side that beat Croatia, resting Declan Rice and Anthony Gordon while giving opportunities to Jarell Quansah, Morgan Rogers, and Marcus Rashford. The full lineup saw Quansah replace Reece James (injured), O'Reilly for Djed Spence, Rogers for Rice, Bukayo Saka for Noni Madueke, and Rashford for Gordon. The changes were partly due to injury and partly to rest players. However, Rogers was largely anonymous, and Saka's only highlight was delivering the corner for Bellingham's goal. Tuchel may not have learned much from the experiment.
Bellingham Brilliance
Deployed in a deeper role with Rogers replacing Rice, Bellingham had a greater physical impact on the game. The 22-year-old was everywhere, making tackles and recovering the ball when Rashford lost possession. He demonstrated skill and control under pressure, turning out of trouble and drawing fouls. In the second half, he swept home Saka's corner to give England the lead, then worked hard to create an opportunity from a long ball, crossing for Kane to head home. Earlier, he had teed up Kane with a pass that the striker should have converted, but drove his shot straight at the goalkeeper.
Three Halves Without a Goal
England failed to score in the second half against Ghana and in the first half against Panama, highlighting a struggle against teams that play a low block. Despite having 72.1% possession in the first half against Panama, England created few clear chances, relying on crosses rather than incisive moves. Rashford and Saka tried to threaten down the flanks, but the final ball was missing. England had the same number of shots on target as Panama in the first 45 minutes, and Panama looked dangerous on the break, exposing England's vulnerability when pushing forward.
Rashford Game Sums Him Up
Marcus Rashford's performance mirrored his career: promise without delivery. He started brightly, cutting inside after eight minutes and forcing a save, then controlling a long ball from Guehi to create danger. But his impact waned; after 20 minutes, he lost the ball trying to take on his man, and his subsequent attempts were blocked. A rare header sailed over the bar, and he ballooned a cross for a goal kick before halftime. His free-kick didn't threaten the goalkeeper. In the second half, he lost possession twice in two minutes early on, drawing groans from the crowd.
Injury Woes
England already lost Reece James to injury before the game, and Jarell Quansah, his replacement, was forced off with an injury exactly on the hour mark. That leaves Djed Spence as the only natural right-back available. An alternative is to play Ezri Konsa, who has spent time at right-back but has started every game in central defence for England, looking solid. That would mean a return for John Stones, who started against Croatia.
