England, Portugal eye top spots as World Cup group stages wrap up

England’s Harry Kane and teammates attend a training session in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (EPA Images pic)

LOS ANGELES: England and Portugal will aim to finish on a high as the World Cup group stages draw to a close on Saturday with the final places in the knockout rounds up for grabs.

Both nations have been inconsistent in the opening rounds of the tournament, alternating between laboured performances and moments of genuine quality.

England, level on four points with Ghana after two games, take on Panama at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, looking for a victory to boost their chances of claiming top spot in Group L.

In Miami, Portugal enter their clash in Group K with leaders Colombia knowing that only a win will enable them to leapfrog the South Americans into first place.

England opened their World Cup with a swashbuckling 4-2 defeat of Croatia in Dallas last week but were held to a 0-0 draw in an attritional battle with Ghana on Tuesday.

Manager Thomas Tuchel is expecting another arm wrestle against pointless Panama on Saturday, with the South Americans expected to defend in numbers.

“It’s a team that is difficult to break down, they’ve hardly allowed any chances,” Tuchel said Friday on the eve of the game.

“We see a well-coached, well-drilled team and a clear identity. The world ranking is on the same level as Wales and Serbia.

“It’s not the most famous or the most well-known football nation, but they can play the role of underdog and play without any pressure.”

While results on Friday ensured England had already advanced to the knockout rounds, failure to beat Panama is likely to raise more questions about their right to be regarded as serious contenders for the title.

‘Not scared’

But while teams like France and Argentina have impressed with some scintillating performances, Tuchel maintains his side will fear no one in the next round.

“I’m not scared,” Tuchel told reporters. “I would just play football and we feel confident enough to be ready and compete on any level…I still see our group as one of the most difficult. This is where we go from. We focus on what we can influence.”

Portugal, meanwhile, face a test of their credentials against Colombia in Miami in Group K.

The Portuguese entered the tournament among the favourites but stumbled in their opening game with a lacklustre 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

But Portugal sparked back to life in their next game, pummeling Uzbekistan 5-0 with two goals from 41-year-old captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

A victory on Saturday could lead to a theoretically easier last 32 opponent, with the Group K winner facing a third-placed side in the round of 32.

The team finishing second will meet the runner-up in England, Ghana and Croatia’s Group L and potentially have a round of 16 meeting against Spain.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez insists, though he is not looking any further than Saturday’s opponents.

“The focus is to try to win the game and not think about the next opponent,” Martinez said Friday. “If you want to do well in a tournament, you have to beat anyone and everyone.

“There’s no single right path or position. What matters is that we play at our best, and you can only do that by winning.”

After Friday’s hectic round of fixtures, just four places among the last 32 remain to be filled, with 28 teams having already advanced.

Among those teams facing a nervous wait on Saturday to see if they will advance are Iran, who suffered heartache on Friday when they drew 1-1 with Egypt in Seattle.

Iran thought they had clinched a dramatic injury time winner that would have propelled them into the knockout rounds, only for the goal to be ruled offside.