None of it bothered them: Panama, or the papers, or the stifling heat of Nizhny Novgorod. All of the issues that typically bring down an England team at a World Cup, are bouncing off this group as if armour-plated.
The pressure of playing spirited underdogs, a fall-out with the media, mercury high in the thirties, any one of these peripheral factors has spelled doom at previous events.
Yet here England were: 5-0 up at half-time, as good as in the knock-out stages with a game and a half to spare, coasting – if it is ever possible to coast in an England shirt, at a tournament.
Harry Kane netted his first World Cup hat-trick as England put Panama to the sword in an emphatic 6-1 win on Sunday
England got their opening goal inside nine minutes as John Stones found space inside the area to head in from 12 yards out
It was another boost for England from set-pieces and it was Stones’ first international goal which set the Three Lions off
Jesse Lingard won a penalty after he was wrestled to the floor by two backtracking Panama defenders when through on goal
Three Lions captain Kane kept his cool ahead of the penalty before powering his it into the top corner for a 2-0 lead
It was the striker’s third goal of the tournament after he netted twice in England’s victory over Tunisia earlier this week
Having won the penalty, Lingard got himself on to the scoresheet with a stunning strike from range for England’s third goal
The midfielder toasted the goal with his trademark ‘JLingz’ celebration alongside Raheem Sterling in front of supporters
The Panama floodgates remained open as Stones, who got the opener, headed in his second of the game before half-time
Kane capped off a fine first-half display by making it 5-0 from the penalty spot before netting his third later in the game
Belgium had set a benchmark in Group G 24 hours earlier, one it was considered impossible for England to match. They would have to put six past Panama to top the group – and when do England ever get near that in a major competition? Well, today. And by half-time, too.
Only four teams in World Cup history have ever led by five goals or more at half-time – Germany were the last, against Brazil in 2014 – and England became the fifth. John Stones became the first Manchester City player to score at a World Cup finals since Trevor Francis in 1982 – then did it again – while Harry Kane went in as the joint top World Cup goalscorer with Cristiano Ronaldo, just as he aimed to be, and then overtook him in the second-half, by accident.
England even put penalties away – Kane twice, and both were absolutely splendid. And if all the set piece and penalty action wasn’t enough, Jesse Lingard – arguably England’s best player – found the time to score an absolute belter, curled into the top right corner.
In the 62nd minute, when Loftus-Cheek’s shot clipped Kane’s heel and was diverted past goalkeeper Jaime Penedo, England were 6-0 up and top of Group G on goal difference. That substitute Felipe Baloy pulled one back with 12 minutes to go, means England and Belgium are level on points, goals scored and goals against. If they draw next week in Kaliningrad it will, incredibly, go down to fair play. We shall see.
And while we can also factor in the usual caveats about being here before – only Panama, wait until we play someone proper, it will all end in tears – the fact is nobody expected this. Not from this team, no matter the opponents. England were too young, too raw, too inexperienced. It was too hot.
Panama were physical and used to it. Take the win and get back to the cool of Repino. Don’t worry about laying down markers, or battling it out with Belgium. That wasn’t for the likes of us; that was for nations with ambitions of victory in Russia.
What price pessimism now? If any other country recorded this result, it would be said they were contenders. Not winners. No need to get over-confident or complacent.
But two games with seven goals scored and none conceded is a lively start. Now Gareth Southgate has the luxury of resting players against Belgium, too, if he wishes. His opposite number, Roberto Martinez, is already talking about. And if there is no intrinsic benefit in winning the group, why not?
Both sides begin to emerge from the tunnel into the scorching 30-degree heat inside the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
Gareth Southgate and his coaching staff applaud after observing the national anthem prior to kick-off on Sunday
Plenty of England fans from right across the country secured tickets and made the trip to Nizhny Novgorod for the match
The match began with Panama looking to assert their physical game-plan, with Jesse Lingard among those roughed-up
He was elbowed after two minutes and the Manchester United midfielder found himself in the wars with opposition early on
England, dominant at set-pieces so far in Russia, again found themselves being grappled to the ground by the opposition
Give the key first-teamers a break, give the second string a feel of the tournament, what’s to lose? England do not traditionally enjoy such luxuries. Game three was a dead rubber in Brazil, too – but of a very different kind.
So, what happened. Basically England played well – not brilliantly, not yet – and an aging, overly physical Panama team wilted in the heat. It was refreshing to see – thoroughly vindicating Southgate’s decision to keep his players in the mild north, and exposing them to the heat as briefly as possible.
What good would it have done to train in this for a week or so. Individuals are born to this hurt, or it saps them. By the time England’s energy level dropped, the game was well won. Preparations were perfect.
But Stones managed to wriggle free of his marker and found himself in acres of space inside the area to head in the opener
The Manchester City centre-back was delighted to get the first goal of the game and the first of his international career
England’s lightning start received another boost after Stones’ opener when Lingard was brought down and won a penalty
Panama’s players were furious with the Egyptian referee Gehad Grisha but his decision was final and England had a penalty
Kane, who netted twice against Tunisia in the first game, took hold of the ball and, as captain, took responsibility for the kick
As for the leaked team, it was wrong anyway. Raheem Sterling played, Marcus Rashford did not. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was in, but everyone guessed that anyway and he wasn’t greatly influential. If Alli misses Belgium, too, it will be because Southgate wants to keep him fresh for the knockout stages – not because his place is under threat.
And while this was not Sterling’s best game, nor was it evidence that Southgate had blundered in keeping the faith. His time will come.
Right now, however, England are getting by on Kieran Trippier’s wonderful set pieces, and Kane’s eye for the main chance. Steve McClaren said set pieces could win England this World Cup and while he may have got a tad over-excited with that statement, few teams here have a weapon as potent.
Both the goals against Tunisia came from corners and when Trippier stood over the first of the afternoon on nine minutes, it was plain Panama were alive to the threat. There was grappling, tugging, and some full-on throwdowns and that was before the ball was kicked.
After a two-minute delay was resolved, Kane fired a pinpoint penalty into the top corner to double England’s advantage
Panama started well against Belgium but struggled to live with England’s creativity and pace during the Group G clash
A shot from range had Jordan Pickford at full stretch but Panama struggled to test the Three Lions goalkeeper in the first half
After dusting himself down from early clashes, Lingard took aim from long-range to produce England’s third goal of the game
Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo was full stretch but got nowhere near the stunning strike Lingard pulled off with aplomb
Referee Ghead Grisha of Egypt warned Panama about it, then let it happen anyway. In the confusion, Panama’s defending were too busy tag wrestling Harry’s Maguire and Kane to notice that John Stones had lost his man, Michael Murillo, and was entirely free in the middle of the area.
Tripper picked him, because that’s what he does, better than any player since David Beckham and England were in front, the header perfectly steering towards the corner.
After that, it was a cakewalk. Panama forged the odd opportunity but had no defence, and just about every time England threatened, they scored. Trippier played another lovely ball through to Lingard, who was clumsily felled in the area by Fidel Escobar. Kane stepped up, but the delay went on for several minutes.
Scuffles outside the penalty area, as players jostled for position, time-wasting by the Panamanians, goalkeeper Jaime Penedo leaning on a post as if in defiance of the protest.
The charismatic midfielder celebrated in style with one of his signature dance moves as England tore Panama apart
Stones was in the right place at the right time following a well-worked set-piece to nod in from close range to make it 4-0
Ashley Young, Jordan Henderson and Kieran Trippier celebrate after Stones’ second, and England’s fourth, goal of the game
But it was to get worse for Panama before they could reconvene at half-time as Kane was wrestled unquestionably to the floor
The Tottenham striker was consistently held at set-pieces and the referee had no doubt to award a second penalty to England
Fat lot of good it did. Kane buried the ball, with pace, with ferocious power, into the top left corner. A World Cup squad contains three goalkeepers – but Panama could have played all of them at once and they wouldn’t have saved it. It is hard to remember a finer technical penalty taken by an Englishman.
And on it went. In the 36th minute, Lingard played a lovely one-two with Sterling before getting the ball back on the edge of the area, and curling it into the far top corner. It was a finish in complete contrast to what had been witnessed against Tunisia. Clinical and perfect.
Next – more fun with set pieces. Trippier took a short free-kick to Jordan Henderson, whio clipped in a lovely ball met by Kane to head it across goal. It might have been a first in three years for Sterling but Penedo saved, only for Stones to head in the rebound, his second of the night.
The fifth was another penalty but what for, or who against, it cannot be said. There were simply too many offences being committed as the dead ball entered the box to pick out a single culprit. Was it Murillo with his arms around Stones outside the six yard box?
Was it Anibal Godoy slinging Kane to the ground near the penalty spot? Was it Colonel Mustard with the lead piping in the study? It might as well have been. Kane was the winner of goalmouth Cluedo, though, because he got to take the same penalty again, with the same result.
Picking out the same corner he did for his first penalty, Kane was composed as he rounded off a stunning half to make it 5-0
Southgate’s men were delighted as they cantered into the last-16 against a Panama side that fell apart inside 45 minutes
The day was capped off midway through the second half when Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s shot deflected off Kane for his hat-trick
Luck was on Kane’s side for the hat-trick goal and it proved the captain’s final act as he was withdrawn in a bid to stay fresh
After Southgate took off his big-hitters, Panama netted a consolation goal through substitute Felipe Baloy late in the game