With a five-star first half performance, England cruised through the Panama canal for a decisive 6-1 win that sees them join Belgium on six points at the top of Group H and headed for the knockout stage.
The first goal came in the 6th minute as an unmarked John Stones headed home a Kieran Trippier corner – a sign of things to come.
England totally controlled the tempo, with Panama relying on breakaways, their only other tactic being to bump and thump opponents at every opportunity.
Jesse Lingard was copping the worst of it and when he was brought down from behind, captain Harry Kane took the penalty and his emphatic smash gave no hope for Jaime Penedo (2-0).
Lingard – who played his finest game in the white shirt – picked his spot to make it 3-0 as he found the top right corner after playing a big part in the build-up.
Stones, who had never before scored for his country, got his second in the 39th minute when a free kick was played short to the left and crossed back in from the right for the Man City defender to nod it in for 4-0.
Stones featured again when he and Harry Kane were rugby tackled at yet another corner and Kane duly dispatched the penalty kick: same spot, same result and it was 5-0 as England exploited a defensive ‘Pan’demic.
Already through and anxious to avoid yellow cards and injuries, England played ‘keep ball’ in the second half but still managed to add to their tally when a Ruben Luftus-Cheek shot deflected off Kane (who knew nothing about it) for the skipper’s hat trick and a 6-0 score line.
Gareth Southgate rang the changes: Jamie Vardie for Kane, Fabian Delph for Lingard and Danny Rose for Trippier.
Panama had the last say when 37-year-old Felipe Baloy got on the end of a free kick to slide it home – Panama’s first ever World Cup finals goal, some consolation as they now prepare to check their outgoing flight tickets.
