After a disastrous first half that saw England score five goals in 45 minutes for the first time in their World Cup history, Panama had a respectable second half, including their first-ever World Cup goal, in a 6-1 defeat on Sunday in Nizhny Novorod. The result advances England alongside Belgium out of Group G.
England scored early and often, with John Stones scoring in the eighth minute and adding his second in the 40th minute. Captain Harry Kane was the star of the show, recording the tournament's second hat trick thus far. Their other tally came from an impressive curling strike from Jesse Lingard.
Despite the staunch halftime deficit, Panama put in a respectable performance in the final 45 minutes. This, of course, was highlighted by Felipe Baloy's goal in the 78th minute. The 37-year-old vet was a well-deserved player to record the country's first-ever World Cup goal considering he has made over 100 caps for Panama since 2001.
With just one match remaining, Román Torres and Panama hope to end the tournament on a good note against Tunisia on Thursday morning at 11 a.m. PT.
