England, Portugal eye top spots as World Cup group stages wrap up
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 labored 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 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 point-less 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.