England’s Performance Against Panama 'Clinical' – Panama Head Coach

© REUTERS / Matthew ChildsSoccer Football - World Cup - Group G - England vs Panama - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia - June 24, 2018 England's Jesse Lingard in action with Panama's Roman Torres and Fidel Escobar
Soccer Football - World Cup - Group G - England vs Panama - Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia - June 24, 2018 England's Jesse Lingard in action with Panama's Roman Torres and Fidel Escobar - Sputnik International
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NIZHNY NOVGOROD (Sputnik) - England put in a "clinical" performance against Panama, according to the Central American side’s head coach Hernan Dario Gomez, who said that there was an "enormous" gulf in class between the two sides.

England blew Panama away 6-1 in their second Group G match and sealed their place in the round of 16 having beaten Tunisia 2-1 in their first match at the World Cup in Russia.

"We could have conceded even more. The difference in class between England and Panama is enormous, England's performance in this game was clinical," Gomez told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Panama's goal against England, scored by defender Felipe Baloy in the 78th minute, was their first ever at the World Cup.

"When Felipe Baloy scored, I felt such an emotional upturn. God himself helped him score that goal!" the coach said.

READ MORE: England Destroys Panama 6-1 as Kane Scores Hat Trick, Secures Spot in Playoffs

Panama will play against Tunisia in their third group-stage game on Thursday, while England will play Belgium, who beat Tunisia 5-2, on the same day.

Commenting on the results of the match, England head coach Gareth Southgate stated that criticizing England's performance after Sunday's victory would be "harsh".

"I'm really pleased of course with the way that we were ruthless for half an hour or so… It's a really good day. The only downside really is the goal at the end… It would be harsh to criticize the players after a performance, a day like that," Southgate told journalists at the post-match press conference.

READ MORE: 'Football Coming Home' & 'Yes, We Kane': Twitter Explodes Over England Triumph

England and Belgium are both top of their group and the winner of the clash between the two sides in Kaliningrad on Thursday will win Group G. Both teams have the same goal difference and have scored eight goals and conceded two.

"We’ve got to enjoy tonight, and then we start again tomorrow," Southgate added.

In the knockouts, England will face one of the Group H teams, namely Senegal, Japan, Poland or Colombia.

Manchester City and England defender John Stones said on Sunday that his side wanted to defeat Belgium in their final World Cup group stage encounter.

"I never thought of scoring twice at the World Cup. As a kid I never thought I could get a chance to play for England, never mind score. It’s a special moment. The main thing for me was to qualify and get through. Anything else is a bonus for me… The start of this campaign was good and we should keep improving… We want to win a game against Belgium… We need to keep winning, keep that momentum going," Stones told journalists.

He added that he would "love" to face Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku.

"Me and Rom [Romelu Lukaku] used to have some good battles in trainings when we were at Everton. He is a top striker, that’s why he went for that amount of money and gone to Man [Manchester] United. I’d love to have a good battle with him again. I think it’s good to play such a strong team at this stage of the tournament. It brings the best out of you," Stones said.

READ MORE: $1,600-Dollar Taxi and Breakfast at Pub: How England Fans Prepare for Match

Southgate has also mentioned the organization of the tournament.

"The running of the tournament from a team perspective is excellent, you know, the access into the stadium, the closing of the roads… Our experience has been really, really outstanding and I think the stadiums [are] architecturally spectacular… We'd be keen to stay here as long as we can," Southgate said at the post-match press conference.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 14 and will continue until July 15, with the matches being played in 11 cities across Russia.

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