England secured qualification to the Round of 16 with their record win at a World Cup. The Three Lions dismantled Panama 6-1, thanks to hat-trick from captain Harry Kane, who now leads the way in the race for the Golden Boot.
Kane became just the third player after Geoff Hurst and Gary Lineker to score three goals in a World Cup finals game. But who else impressed? We look at which three Lions roared the loudest against Los Canaleros.
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Kieran Trippier
After two games in the World Cup, a case could be made that Kieran Trippier has been England’s most impressive player so far. Six of the eight goals registered have come from set-pieces, and Trippier’s delivery has been consistently first class.
Finding John Stones for England’s opener, Trippier then found Jesse Lingard, as the Manchester United man was brought down for a penalty. Whether it be from a dead ball or open play, the right wing-back is providing the type of service which attackers thrive off.
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Harry Kane
Two ruthlessly struck clinical penalties and a fortuitous deflected strike helped take England’s captain to the top of the scoring charts. The number nine’s first penalty was reminiscent of the type of spot-kick Alan Shearer used to thump home.
And just to prove it wasn’t a fluke, his second penalty was almost identical. It must have felt like karma for Kane, who could have had a couple of penalties in England’s opener against Tunisia.
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Jesse Lingard
On the terraces at Old Trafford, Lingard is often referred to as Lionel Jesse or Jesé Lingardinho. The thought being that if the 25-year-old had a more glamorous name he would be more appreciated.
His performance against Tunisia had everything but a goal. Against Panama, he scored a wonder goal, after winning a penalty with another penetrating run. Lingard had shown his potential to be a main player for the Three Lions, in their friendlies against Italy and Holland. Now he’s showing that a party isn’t a party, if Lingard doesn’t show up to dance.
The Best of the Rest
John Stones: His thunderous header against Tunisia led to Harry Kane’s opener, and again the Manchester City man proved to be an uncontainable threat from set pieces with a brace. One of the several defenders caught napping when Panama scored their first World Cup goal, but nevertheless, another strong showing from the defender.
Jordan Henderson: Another solid display from the Liverpool captain. Despite England’s dominating first-half performance, Henderson won as many tackles (3) as the entire Panama team and covered more ground than anyone else on the pitch (10km), whilst maintaining a 91% pass percentage.
CLICK HERE to read about England’s top Three Lions against Tunisia.
