EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — England has already clinched a spot in the World Cup's round of 32 and controls its own destiny entering the final Group L match against Panama, hoping to pick up three points and guarantee a first-place finish.England is on top of the group with four points after a win against Croatia and draw against Ghana, sitting ahead of Ghana on goal differential. The African side faces Croatia in the other Group L game on Saturday.A win at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey against Panama – which England beat 6-1 in the 2018 World Cup – would set the Three Lions up for a matchup against Senegal or the third-place team from Group J or K.England will be without right back Reece James, who didn't travel with the team as he deals with a hamstring issue. James started each of the first two games and coach Thomas Tuchel said the Chelsea man is on "accelerated rehab program."USA TODAY Sports is bringing live updates from the game:Halftime: Panama-England still knotted up at 0-0It was an interesting half of football, but it's clear England will need to pepper more attempts on target. The Three Lions were the better side, leading most attacking metrics, but England couldn't break through in the ones that mattered most: shots on target (2-2) and goals.Panama appeared to find confidence as the match wore on, but England fans, perhaps, are starting to wonder if there are serious issues afoot. The lineup changes haven't produced the results coach Thomas Tuchel was expecting, so it will be interesting to see what changes he opts for in the second half.England gets free kick opportunity in stoppage timeAfter Jude Bellingham got fouled about 30 yards from goal, Marcus Rashford tried to whip in a shot attempt past the Panama wall. The ball curved toward the right post, but it was a touch too wide and skipped past goal three minutes into stoppage time.Tension building for England supportersThere's a little bit of unease building here inside the New York/New Jersey venue, as England — once again — is struggling to find the back of the net. Fans in the crowd, seemingly, have seen the Croatia-Ghana score (1-0), which would leave the Three Lions in second place in Group L.Panama, meanwhile, have launched several counter attacks to destabilize the England defense. Play has picked up on both sides, with England lofting a series of balls into the penalty area. Still, however, and just like it was against Ghana: no goal yet.Panama creates its first real chanceSeconds after play resumed following the hydration break, Panama produced its first real threat at goal, as midfielder José Luis Rodríguez got the ball in open space on the left flank and blasted a left-footed shot that England keeper Jordan Pickford needed to punch away to protect the near post in the 26th minute.Jeers at the hydration breakIt feels like it's a matter of time before England gets a goal. The Three Lions clearly have momentum and have been playing with more creation and aggression, though a goal continues to elude them. Because of that, the mostly pro-England crowd produced audible jeers when the referee blew the whistle for the hydration break.England has taken a lead on shots (5-1), shots inside the penalty area (3-0), passes (165-72), corners (4-0), free kicks (7-3) and possession (62-28).England playing through the wingsWith Marcus Rashford (left wing) and Bukayo Saka (right) marking the notable lineup changes Saturday, England is looking to build momentum through both wings. The wingers have found a lot more space against Panama than Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke did four days ago against Ghana, and the Three Lions are finding ways to get touches deep in the Panamanian half.England is dominating possession (hovering around 60%) and has been the aggressor. But, much like Ghana, the breakthrough has been absent.England starting to foray into Panamanian halfThe Three Lions have started to attack more, patiently working passes throughout their formation to try to find gaps in the Panamanian defense. Left winger Marcus Rashford launched the first real threat of the match, a right-footed boot in the 8th minute from the left side of the box. The ball skidded across the slick pitch, but Panamanian keeper Orlando Mosquera punched it away.Minutes later, Rashford, who started in place of Anthony Gordon and has made an early impact, slashed his way into the box to force another England corner.In early going, both sides feeling each other outIt was a tentative start for both sides in the initial minutes of the match, with both sides playing quite compressed near midfield. England, however, lofted a couple of balls into the Panamanian box, trying to see how the Canaleros would respond. It led to the first England corner of the game, though it was headed away safely.Where to watch England vs PanamaTV channel: FoxLive stream: Fubo or the Fox One AppSpanish language: Telemundo and PeacockWatch every World Cup game with FuboWhat time is England vs Panama game today?The matchup kicks off at 5:00 PM ET.Anthems complete, kick-off coming upThe rain has continued to fall, as both national anthems rang out here at the New York/New Jersey stadium. The crowd is lively and spirited, as England looks to win Group L.Panama will be in all white kits, with England wearing red tops and navy blue bottoms.Is Panama out of the World Cup?Yes, Panama has been eliminated from the World Cup after it lost its first two matches of Group L, against Ghana and Croatia.Here comes the rainAfter a quiet half hour without rain, the sky darkened and a steady rain began to fall, coinciding with pre-match warmups. The weather hasn't appeared to deter fans; if anything, they seem to be embracing it, continuing to dance and soak in the atmosphere, with kick-off around 30 minutes away.Both sides take the pitch for warmupsAt 4:14 p.m. ET, both Panama and England took the pitch for their pre-match warmups. Interestingly, despite the steady rain that had fallen all morning, the grounds crew opted to turn on the sprinklers while the field was clear. It's safe to say that the pitch is well hydrated, particularly around the sprinkler heads, with obviously visible moisture collecting in those areas.It's still early, but England fans are out in full forceFans are still trickling into the lower and upper bowl here at the New York/NewJersey stadium, but early indications are that this is going to be a massively pro-England crowd. Along the walls behind both goals, from end to end, fans have draped flags bearing the names of their regional clubs. There is a contingent of Panamanian fans supporting the Canaleros, to be sure, but their red blends in somewhat with England's.One notable celebrity who is in the house: Mariano Rivera, the Panamanian former New York Yankees closer and only player to be unanimously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.Is England playing their starters again?No. Coach Thomas Tuchel made several lineup changes, the most notable being wing forwards Marcus Rashford and Bukyo Saka starting in place of Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke.Midfielder Declan Rice was another notable name to start on the bench Saturday against Panama.Both squads arrive to venueAt 3:33 p.m. ET, shortly after it arrived to the stadium, England's players strolled out onto the pitch to examine conditions. They wore their light blue, team-issued travel sweats; a few walked around, some juggled the balls that had been left out on the field for them.At around the same time, the bus carrying the Panamanian selection arrived to the stadium.Wet and rainy conditions persisting before Panama-EnglandWith about an hour-and-a-half until kick off, the steady rain that has persisted all morning is continuing, forcing fans filtering into the stadium to don ponchos or rain jackets. One thing that's certain about today: there won't be any complaints about a dry pitch. The field here at the New York/New Jersey venue has been the focus of some criticism from players, though wet conditions will need to be monitored throughout the day.At 3:25 p.m. ET, officials walked the pitch and assessed conditions. Players still haven't emerged yet for warmups or to examine the field.The good news is that the rain is supposed to let up somewhat closer to kick-off, but it appears to be a near-certainty that rain will impact play somehow, as scattered showers are blowing through the Northeast. The other good news is that thunder does not appear to be in the region, so game stoppages – at least for now – should not be a concern.Where is Panama playing in World Cup?The Panama-England match is being played at the New York/New Jersey stadium, located in East Rutherford, N.J.Panama lineup todayGK: Orlando Mosquera (22)DF: José Córdoba (3)DF: Fidel Escobar (4)DF: Carlos Harvey (14)DF: Andrés Andrade (16)DF: Amir Murillo (16)DF: Jorge Gutiérrez (26)MF: Cristian Martínez (6)MF: José Luis Rodríguez (7)MF: Édgar Yoel (11, C)FW: Tomás Rodríguez (9)Full rosters for 2026 World Cup teamsEngland lineup todayGK: Jordan Pickford (1)DF: Ezri Konsa (2)DF: Nico O’Reilly (3)DF: Marc Guehi (6)DF: Jarell Quansah (26)MF: Elliot Anderson (8)MF: Jude Bellingham (10)MF: Morgan Rogers (17)FW: Bukayo Saka (7)FW: Harry Kane (9, C)FW: Marcus Rashford (11)Panama vs England expert predictionsSeth Vertelney: Panama 0-3 EnglandPanama's attack doesn't look like much of a threat so the question is more how many England can score. After a frustrating result against Ghana, it should be at least a couple.Jon Arnold: Panama 0-2 EnglandPanama won't bring the same style as Ghana, but their defense will hang tougher than it did eight years ago. The lack of a finisher, however, means they'll get shut out and concede a couple.Jesse Yomtov: Panama 0 - 5 EnglandIf England can't drop at least three on Panama, yes, there's cause for concern.Victoria Hernandez: Panama 0 - 4 EnglandEngland is fuming after a terrible performance in a draw against Ghana. Expect Harry Kane to make up for it here.Panama vs England oddsWhere is Panama vs England game?The Group L match is being held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.World Cup Group L standings*England 1-1-0 (+2) – 4 points*Ghana 1-1-0 (+1) – 4 pointsCroatia 1-0-1 (-1) – 3 pointsPanama 0-0-2 (-2) – 0 pointsWorld Cup Group L schedule(All times Eastern)June 17: England 4, Croatia 2June 17: Ghana 1, Panama 0June 23: England 0, Ghana 0June 23: Croatia 1, Panama 0June 27: Panama vs. England | New York/New Jersey | 5 p.m. | FOXJune 27: Croatia vs. Ghana | Philadelphia | 5 p.m. | FS1World Cup standingsExplore live group standings, stats and the updated bracket with USA TODAY Sports here.