World Cup rewind: England learn to love again
If you haven’t heard, there’s a World Cup going on. We’re here to help, with a daily recap of the biggest news.
England haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy a World Cup for nearly 30 years, but 2018 has a different feel to it for Gareth Southgate’s side, who booked their place in the round of 16 Sunday with a 6-1 win against Panama.
Panama were (obviously) awful and Harry Kane’s hat-trick was surely the worst he’s ever scored, but the important point is that everyone really just seems to be having a nice time, which for any other team might sound ridiculous, but for England could be a big difference maker.
The result was also the most pointed reminder yet of the depths to which the U.S. men’s national team had to sink to miss out on this tournament, but it was hard to begrudge the Panama fans as they celebrated their nations first ever World Cup goal late in the second half.
Panama’s late goal also meant that England and Belgium are level on points, goal difference and goals scored. The final tiebreaker, should their match on Thursday end in a draw, is fair play. The Three Lions currently have one fewer yellow card.
Sunday’s second match saw Senegal and Japan draw an entertaining, end-to-end match 2-2, leaving both sides level on four points at the top of Group H, which despite a lack of powerhouse teams has proved to be one of the most exciting at the tournament.
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Colombia kept their fate in their hands heading into the final group match with an impressive 3-0 win against Poland, who became the first UEFA team to officially be eliminated. Los Cafeteros need to beat Senegal in their final match to go through.
James Rodriguez was particularly impressive, with his assist for Juan Cuadrado’s goal the highlight of the match, but perhaps the most memorable moment was Radamel Falcao’s first ever World Cup goal, at the ripe old age of 32.
Monday sees the first set of final-round group games, in Group A and B. Russia play Uruguay, and Egypt play Saudi Arabia at 10 a.m. ET. At 2 p.m. ET, Spain play Morocco and Portugal play Iran. Spain and Portugal are level on four points, while Iran are still alive on three.