ENGLAND 6 PANAMA 1 (Nizhny Novgorod)
England has secured a spot in the knockout stage and eliminated Panama from the 2018 World Cup by heroically triumphing 6-1 against the Latin American side.
The action began minutes after the initial whistle when John Stones buried a header from the penalty spot for the game’s first goal. In a desperate need to stop England from scoring another, Escobar pushed Lingard to the ground within the box, earning the opponents a penalty at the 20th minute. England captain, Harry Kane, volunteered and fired the ball into the top left corner to double the lead. Panama attempted to gain possession and control of the match, but failed to break down their opponent’s energetic rhythm to do so. England exerted their dominance by passing their way to the opposition half, reaching Lingard and allowing him to curl a majestic shot into the top corner from 20 yards for the 3-0 lead.
Then, in the 40th minute, England proved nothing could stop them as Stones found the rebound from a set piece and headed the ball for yet another goal. Panama’s frustrations grew, leading Goday to drag down Kane in an aggressive attempt to defend within the box, calling for another England penalty. The English captain repeated his previous efforts, and scored to seal the half 5-0. The Three Lions continued to overshadow Panama in the second half, attaining 60% possession and attempting seven shots on target. Then, a clumsy goal by Kane in the 62nd minute made him the first England player to score a World Cup hat-trick since Gary Lineker.
The English side simply could not be stopped. In a moment of poor defending, England’s clean sheet hopes disappeared when Baloy found the ball and fired a wonderful half-volley into the post. Though this goal would not revive Panama, supporters rejoiced as their country’s first World Cup goal.
JAPAN 2 SENEGAL 2 (Ekaterinburg)
Japan holds Senegal to a 2-2 draw to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Senegal exerted their dominance early, attempting two shots on goal within the first 10 minutes.
In the 11th minute, Sarr utilized his pace to race down the right side and find Sabaly, whose strike was punched away by Japanese goalkeeper, Eiji Kawashima. Sabaly’s efforts did not go to waste, as Mane found the rebound and bounced the ball into the goal for the 1-0 lead. Senegal maintained the 1-0 advantage for the majority of the half, exercising both offensive and defensive authority. In a moment of weakness, however, at the 34th minute, Senegal’s defenders allowed Nagatomo to penetrate the box and assist Inui, who curled a low shot into the post from 15 yards away.
Senegal took control again in the second half, with 19-year-old right-back, Moussa Wague, leading the way with a lighting speed that allowed him to flash past the defenders and into the opposition box. In the 70th minute, Wague proved his ability as he fired the ball into the roof of the net to find the lead. The African side’s celebration was short lived, as Keisuke Honda found the equalizer from eight yards away at the 78th minute.
COLOMBIA 3 POLAND 0 (Kazan)
Colombia eliminated Poland from the World Cup with a 3-0 victory.
Both nations entered the pitch knowing that a defeat would send them home. That attitude translated onto the pitch as neither side risked pushing forward and opening up the game. It wasn’t until the 39th minute that the action truly began.
Rodriguez created a lovely play by chipping a cross into the box to find Mina, who headed the ball into the net sealing the half 1-0. Poland returned to the field with a determined mindset, however, they could not match Colombia’s intensity and pressure. The Colombian offense found it easy to break through the opponent’s defense as Quintero raced down the center, passing it to Falcao, who fired the ball into the post and doubled their lead at the 70th minute.
The Colombian supporters continued to celebrate as five minutes later, Cuadrado found his way to the opposition half and curled a shot past Szczesny, securing the 3-0 win.
