England routs Panama to reach last 16
HARRY Kane struck a hattrick as England marched into the last 16 of the World Cup with a record 61 win over a woeful Panama in their World Cup Group G match yesterday.
The result, a record win for England in a World Cup finals match, means England qualifies for the knockout stage with a game to spare, along with Belgium, which also has six points.
Tournament debutant Panama was eliminated, along with Tunisia.
England was 50 up at halftime after taking full advantage of a poor Panamanian defence.
A header from a corner by John Stones, a penalty from Kane and a beautiful strike from the edge of the box by Jesse Lingard set it on its way.
A Stones header from a wellworked freekick routine and a second Kane penalty gave it a 50 lead going into the break.
The England captain, now the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, completed his hattrick when a shot from Ruben LoftusCheek deflected in off the Tottenham forward in the 62nd minute.
Kane became just the third England player to score a hattrick in a World Cup game, after Geoff Hurst in 1966 and Gary Lineker in 1986.
Panama pulled a goal back in the 78th minute through Felipe Baloy — the Central American nation’s first goal at a World Cup.
Midfielder Keisuke Honda came off the bench to salvage a 22 draw for Japan against Senegal, and both teams were locked at the top of Group H after their entertaining encounter.
Veteran Honda (32), who
became the first Japanese player to score in three different World Cups, replaced Shinji Kagawa in the second half with his team down 21 and fired the equaliser in 12 minutes from time after an error by Senegal goalkeeper Khadim N’Diaye.
Senegal thought it had claimed all three points as Moussa Wague drilled the ball into the top of the net in the 71st minute to make it 21, after Sadio Mane’s fortuitous firsthalf opener was cancelled out by Takashi Inui’s curling shot. But Honda ensured things ended level, and deservedly so.
The result leaves both teams on four points from two games and within reach of a spot in the last 16.
Colombia’s World Cup campaign roared back into life with a 30 win over Poland in Group H that sent the Poles tumbling out of the tournament.
Defender Yerry Mina opened the scoring in the 40th minute and captain Radamel Falcao and winger Juan Cuadrado sealed a deserved victory with two goals in five minutes as the desperate Poles chased the game in the last quarter.
The victory puts Colombia in third place in the group on three points behind Japan and Senegal. — AAP