Whenever you see that at the matchday drinking sessions, you always sense there’s something bubbling away under the surface between these two.
For Flyd, I get the sense that when he looks at Goat he feels superior and feels that Goat would make a good barman or waiter and should be placed below stairs.
For Goat, I get the sense that when he looks at Flyd, he feels inferior and that Flyd would make a good victim and should be placed below ground.
Harry Kane’s last-minute intervention got England off to a flying start and gave them a win in their opening game of a major tournament for the first time since the 2006 World Cup, when they beat Paraguay. At times against Tunisia it wasn’t pretty, or perfect, but with a bit more luck, composure and favourable decisions they would have won with ease.
The Panamanians played to type in their opening game with Belgium. Los Canaleros (The Canal Men) were aggressive, robust, but ultimately hugely outclassed. The Belgians knew they had been in a game, though, and complained afterwards about some of the tackles that were flying in.
“I don’t know what people are complaining about,” captain Roman Torres said. “Football is like that - you always have to impose yourself, you have to mark out your territory.”
Their coach Hernan Dario Gomez was in charge of Colombia when they lost 2-0 to England at France 1998. His opposite number in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday, Gareth Southgate, was on the bench.
England manager Gareth Southgate: "To play with the freedom, energy and pace that we did was as good as anything I have seen in the tournament up to this point.
“Every team will want to improve but we hit a level that is comparable to anything that I’ve seen. The team that we selected for the first game performed as well as I can remember us playing with the ball in the first hour of the game.”
Panama defender Harold Cummings: "We are going there to play hard.
“We are going there to compete. We will do our job against any team we face.”
This will be the first meeting between England and Panama.
Panama are the 38th different nation England have faced at a World Cup.
England have only lost their first meeting against a nation at the World Cup in five of their previous 37 matches (v USA, Spain, Uruguay, Hungary and Italy).
England
They have only won their opening two games at a World Cup twice before, in 1982 and 2006.
England’s victory over Tunisia ended a run of four World Cup matches without a win (D1, L3).
They are unbeaten in their last 11 internationals (W8, D3).
Kane became the first England player to score a brace in a World Cup match since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in 1990.
The last England player to score more goals in the group stage of a World Cup tournament than the two Kane has already scored was Lineker in 1986 (three).
The Three Lions’ 2-1 win over Tunisia was the first time they had scored more than once in a World Cup match since a 2-2 draw with Sweden in 2006.
Panama
In their 3-0 loss to Belgium, Panama suffered the biggest defeat by a World Cup debutant since Ukraine lost 4-0 to Spain in 2006.
The last side to lose by three or more goals in both of their opening two World Cup matches on their tournament debut were Greece in 1994, who lost 4-0 to Bulgaria and Argentina.
They received more yellow cards (five) than they had shots on target (two) against the Belgians.
Panama have lost four of their last six internationals (W1, D1) and have only won one of their last eight (D2, L5).
They have failed to beat any of the previous 10 European sides they have faced in their history.
I’ve seen a couple of articles bemoaning the temperature that poor little England will have to play in(unlike Panama i assume). If only someone had told them that Russia has a summer as well.
Getting their excuses in early, was my first thought.
As someone who exists in extreme heat, I can assure you that fit and healthy people can cope with an hour or three in hot weather.
Basing themselves in a hot city then the heat just wears you down, drains your normal fluids and you over compensate with too much water & isotonic drinks (or beer in our case).
We did alright in Osaka in 2002 (keeping refreshed by stealing beers from the skybox next door and the players made it through as well.
England players will be fitter than Panama. Not an issue.
Somewhere I have an epic selfie with Michael Owen from 2002 - I played golf in 46C melted, had a shower and a couple of pints of Isotonic. He walked off the course from the group behind and posed for pics. Wearing a pale grey golf shirt with not a bead of sweat on him.
The only danger it poses is from the commentary team boring us to death about it
OK, bring it on. Whilst being on call severely curtails my alcoholic intake (always an issue when watching our gallant lads struggling to overcome Johnny Foreigner), I still predict a fine win for Harry Kane, his magic chin and our boys as a whole. With the tattooed, beer-gutted pride of our national manhood stomping the streets and bars of Nizhny Novgorod, what could possibly go wrong?
To quote the Zim (as should be done at every opportunity):
“Seems there was and earthquake that
Left nothing but a Panama hat”
That earthquake, my friends, is Harry Kane’s magic chin. No more need be said.
Which is why I love that we can choose to listen to some matches in Arabic…
I’ve mentioned before the Egyptian Saints Fan and his epic
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL
SIR RICKIE LAMBERT
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL
Know the feeling. I avoid English commentary if at all possible. Even languages you don’t understand are more informative than the idiots they give us.
Unforeseen side effect of the get fit campaign for that golf stuff.
This is the BEST fitting England top I’ve got ffs
I dug it out because we are HOPING that Cafe Barcelona (next door to the hospital) is showing the game. It is a Lebanese cafe/shisha shop. It says they show the evening games and they are open, it is my one chance to see the 1st half with a fresh pineapple juice. Nearest Bar is 40 minutes away so not gonna happen in rush hour
Watching the TV and I am reminded (again) that Rio is a decent pundit. His insight into life as an England player under Huddle and then Sven was v good.
