England beat Panama but Thomas Tuchel has a big problem he can’t ignore, writes OLIVER HOLT – and without Jude Bellingham, his boss may have been facing a World Cup embarrassment against minnows

Jude Bellingham’s small-town blues long ago melted away before he found great success with Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid. But if ever a British actor was born on the New York stage, its bright lights and new world promises, it is him.

Start spreading the word: Bellingham reprises his role as England’s savior at Euro ’24. It was Bellingham who stood out on Saturday as his team took on Panama in the wasteland of the Meadowlands and looked capable of finishing second in Group L.

There were worried looks among England fans after a goalless hour at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Thomas Tuchel was once again doing his best impression of the haunted figure in Edvard Munch’s The Scream.

‘We lack sophistication, we lack creativity, we lack innovation,’ Gary Neville said on television, and he was right. England lost another right-back when Jarell Quansah had to be helped. All the optimism that had accompanied England’s departure for the United States vanished on that miserable, dreary evening.

And then Bellingham did what Bellingham does. He transformed the game. His energy never waned, even in the face of England’s uncertainty, but when Bukayo Saka headed home a corner in the 61st minute, Bellingham put the ball in. A few minutes later he set up England’s second to Harry Kane.

Bellingham has scored five goals in major tournaments so far. This was his second match in the individual World Cup against Croatia in Dallas. Here at MetLife he saved England from embarrassment with a 2-0 win that ensured they could head to Atlanta with a dream when they headed south for their Round of 32 match.

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Harry Kane scored his 11th goal in the World Cup, becoming England’s all-time top scorer in the final.

Tuchel made a few changes to the team that played to a goalless draw with Ghana earlier in the week. He capitalized on Jude Bellingham’s versatility, returning him to play alongside Elliot Anderson and resting the injured Declan Rice. England’s two best open players, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, started this tournament together for the first time. Morgan Rogers was given the chance he deserved at number 10.

However, there are concerns about the right-back. This position has been a point of contention ever since Tuchel omitted Trent Alexander-Arnold from his squad and frankly it has become an issue. It was predictable that Reece James was injured and Tino Livramento had already gone home. Jarell Quansah started against Panama and is a good player, but will he be an area target against better teams?

England were so dominant in the early stages of MetLife that defensive weakness was ignored. Marcus Rashford started strongly. He cut in from the left, ignored Bellingham’s pleas to give him the ball and shot wide at the near post. Orlando Camira came down hard and put the ball wide.

Yet Panama was not without ambition. They broke dangerously after a quarter of an hour and England could have been in trouble if Jose Luis Rodríguez had played the ball to his left when he was left one-on-one with Ezri Konsa on the edge of the box. Rodriguez couldn’t see the pass and the danger was eliminated.

Immediately after the hydration break, which reached new levels of absurdity in the pouring rain, Panama put England on edge again as Jose Luis Rodríguez made a smart diving save from Jordan Pickford with his shot at the near post. That’s when the news came that Croatia had taken the lead against Ghana. England finished second in the group.

England recovered somewhat. Saka objected to the penalty decision after claiming that he retreated from the area. The referee ignored him. A minute later Rashford headed straight in from close range. Bellingham tried to set the tone with his relentless energy but England struggled to respond.

Thomas Tuchel showed an angry attitude at times as the Three Lions tried to overcome their rivals

Rashford took the free kick right at the beginning of the first half. When the ball bounced off the advertising hoardings and rippled into the back of the net, some England fans high up in the stadium thought the ball had gone into the goal. This was the most courage they had had all evening.

Panama came close again ten minutes into the second half. Anderson lost the ball near the touchline and Jose Luis Rodriguez ran from the front of the penalty area and fired a shot that curled wide. Harry Kane made a fine save from Camira just before the hour mark. The clock started to tick.

England’s right-back problem was exacerbated when Quansah had to be taken off the field due to injury, but then the man who has made a habit of being England’s savior was back in action. Saka attacked from the left for a corner and Bellingham put his left foot out beyond his own goal and volleyed into the corner.

Five minutes later Bellingham ran onto a ball down the left and held the ball close to the edge of the area. He turned, twisted, and made room for a cross. He floated the ball into the six-yard box where it was met by Kane and wrong-footed the goalkeeper with a fierce header.

England survived a recent scare when Jose Fajardo ran towards goal and fired a shot over Jordan Pickford towards goal, but they were saved by the linesman’s flag.

England breathed a sigh of relief. They advanced to the last 32 and took the lead in the group. They had escaped. They had overcome the doubt that surrounded them. Bellingham savored the moment. He’s at the top of the list, king of the hill.

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