Bellingham and Kane Shine as England Beat Panama to Top Group

England beat Panama 2-0 on Saturday at the World Cup in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Jude Bellingham scored one goal and helped set up another for Harry Kane. The win gave England seven points and first place in Group L. Finishing first means they get an easier path through the tournament's knockout rounds.

England struggled for most of the match, controlling the ball but failing to score. Panama played strong defense and tried to catch England off guard on the counter-attack. It wasn't until the 62nd minute that the deadlock was finally broken.

Bellingham made the big play when a corner kick from Bukayo Saka dropped into a crowded penalty area. Even though a defender was holding him, Bellingham found just enough room to poke the ball into the net with his left foot. That goal gave England the boost they needed to take control of the game.

Just five minutes later, Bellingham helped create the second goal. He moved down the left side and sent a precise cross into the box. Kane jumped above his defender and headed the ball into the net for England's second goal of the match.

That header was a historic moment for Kane and for English soccer. It was his 11th World Cup goal, breaking the previous England record of 10 set by Gary Lineker. Kane is now England's all-time leading scorer at World Cup tournaments.

After the match, Kane spoke about the game and the record. 'A solid performance again, against a side with fast, tricky players,' he said. 'First half maybe a little bit sloppy in the final third, got better in the second half.' He added that he hoped the record-breaking goal would not be his last at this World Cup.

England's coach Thomas Tuchel had made five changes to the starting lineup for this match. Reece James was out with a hamstring injury, and several other players were rotated in to keep the squad fresh. Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka started in attack, while Morgan Rogers played a more offensive role in midfield.

Rashford gave England their first real chance in just the seventh minute with a low shot that Panama's goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera saved well. England kept pushing forward but often struggled to create clear scoring chances. Panama's goalkeeper had to make several good saves throughout the first half.

The second half started slowly too, with Kane missing a close-range chance in the 51st minute. England kept pressing, and Mosquera made another save from Kane a few minutes later. Then Bellingham stepped up and changed everything with his breakthrough goal.

At the final whistle, England had finished on top of Group L with seven points. Croatia came second with six points after beating Ghana 2-1, while Ghana ended on four points. Panama lost all three of their group matches and finished last.

Late in the game, Jordan Henderson came on as a substitute and made history of his own. He became the first England player ever to appear at four separate World Cups. It was a proud moment for the veteran midfielder during what turned out to be a historic evening for the England team.