Valley Viewpoint

Like England and Tunisia, Belgium also qualified for the World Cup unbeaten, winning 9 and drawing 1; Earning 28 points out of a possible 30. Group H included Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina as the main threats, but also Estonia, Cyprus and Gibraltar. Belgium certainly didn't struggle for goals, with Romelu Lukaku scoring 11, Eden Hazard had 6, while Thomas Meunier and Dries Mertens chipped in with 5 each. The Red Devils also humiliated Estonia 8-1 and Gibraltar 9-0 in the process. Both England and Belgium came into this final World Cup group stage game already through to the knock-out rounds. After beating Panama 3-0 and Tunisia 5-2, Belgium found themselves level on points (6) with the same amount of goals scored (8) and conceded (2) as England. The only thing being decided in this match was the final group positions and who will face who in the next round. Although, finishing second may be the preferred route. Due to other group standings, Brazil, France, Uruguay, Portugal and...

Panama found themselves in an extremely hard and competitive qualifying group. Facing the likes of experienced World Cup mainstays; Mexico, USA and Honduras. As well as Costa Rica, who had a great World Cup campaign at Brazil 2014. While Trinidad and Tobago could also prove to be a difficult opponent. Panama finished the group in third, just pipping the USA by a single point and beating Honduras on goal difference to send them on their way to their first ever World Cup. Notable results included impressive draws with Mexico (0-0) and USA (1-1), showing that Panama have it in them to cause an upset to big teams. Panama's final match was against Costa Rica, where Ro mán Torres' lastminute header gave them a 2-1 lead and ultimately sent Panama to their first ever World Cup, achieving national hero status in the process.  Panama will prove to be a tough test for England if the Three Lions aren't careful.  Panama are a physical side who aren't afraid of a challenge.  Hernán...

England come into the World Cup after an unbeaten qualifying campaign, with 8 wins and 2 draws. While their recent qualifying groups have never been particularly hard, there were a few potential teams that could have caused a shock. Rivals Scotland almost caused an upset in a 2-2 draw at Hampden Park as 3 of the 4 goals came in the final few minutes. Similarly, with Slovenia and Slovakia, England left it late to seal the 3 points. One major concern amongst most England supporters going into the World Cup is England's ability to beat teams that will look to defend deep and whether we have the creativity to break these sides down. In qualifying and previous tournaments, the Three Lions have struggled to do so, with the epitome of the issue being the embarrassing 2-1 loss to Iceland at the 2016 Euros. England haven't lived up to expectations for the last few major tournaments which has led to a negativity surrounding the national team. Tunisia also topped a tight group that incl...