Poems tagged ‘Panama’
When England Take On Panama WC26
when England take on Panama
will we display how good we are
or end up staring at the clock
demoralised by their low block
with nine or ten behind the ball
as we just pass and pass the ball
why is it like this ev’ry time
before it started I was fine
I search for omens from afar
’til England take on Panama
O Panama O Panama
how far away and hot you are
I try to picture what goes on
your fans all cheering in Colon
your home of hats and coffee too
which your canal cuts neatly through
the heat in New York where we play
will suit you more in ev’ry way
I’m confident but I’m not sure
so many times we’ve failed before
I trust our mood is up to par
before we take on Panama
but soon so soon the moment’s near
so why the dread and why the fear
I watch the others score at will
destroying teams they shine and thrill
what’s happened to the faith I had
when I was just a little lad?
I know that many feel the same
it’s just another tricky game
I’m praying Kane will be our star
when England take on Panama
when Panama take England on
I hope the air-conditioning’s on
I’ve waited now these four long years
O please don’t let it end in tears
in sixty-six I danced around
the Summer streets in London town
I wonder if I’ll feel as proud
inside our little pub in Stroud
or glue my ears up to Five Live
to keep this crazy dream alive
and look for signs to comfort me
if I can’t bear it on TV
it’s time to leave my mind ajar
when England take on Panama
Three One Nils & a One Two Haiku- WC Day 15
Three One Nils & a One Two Haiku
three goals in three games
one nil one nil and one nil…
and then a one two !
Senegal 0-1 Columbia
this is what I love
two great continents who bring
rhythm and passion
oh what fans they have
like some Womad festival
colour dance and song
so what should we fear?
will Rodriguez recover?
Cuadrado looks hot
Japan 0-1 Poland
once again they win
teams already going home
Samurai won’t mind
into the sixteen
just like England and Belg’yum
syllables but just
Poland wake at last
Lewandowski’s thoughts will turn
to his future team
England 0-1 Belgium
in this evening light
we played out a tame affair
with a second team
though our fate is sealed
Rashford-Loftus Cheek aside
what did we learn here ?
when the chips are down
can one really plot a route?
only time will tell
Panama 1-2 Tunisia
with nothing to lose
both sides give their fans a lift
and a fond farewell
love the enegy
that both sides bring and display…
sad to see them go
how dull would it be
without sides like Panama
and Tunisia?
World Cup day 15
Day 15
Fair Play sends Senegal home
Senegal 0-1 Colombia
The second most populous nation
In South America
They came from close and far
Together in a World Cup bazaar
When Yerry Mina rises
It sends alarm bells ringing
When the towering stopper rises
The Tricolour are singing
Poland’s surprise win
Makes Los Cafeteros’ day
The Lions Of Teranga terminated
Heartbreak with the Fair Play
Walking football Japan proceed
Japan 0-1 Poland
Jan Bednarek struck
In a game that was abysmal
But coach Akira Nishino
Was grinning at the whistle
Despite losing to Poland
Japan are glad
Nippon go through
Scraping through in Volgograd
The end of this game
Was somewhat a car crash
Both teams walking it
Incurring a fans backlash
Januzaj stunner sends Belgique top
England 0-1 Belgium
Southgate rang the changes
Eight new faces enter the ground
No matter what happens tonight
Both teams are in the next round
All outfield players have featured
In terms of match play
We need to go beyond this loss
Look ahead to Tuesday
Belgium with a few close ones
Some say we were poor
Januzaj with a stunner
Come on England is our roar
Khazri shines as Tunisia bow out
Panama 1-2 Tunisia
A second-half strike
From Sunderland’s Khazri
Sends the Tunisians home
With a World Cup victory
Rodriguez’s shot deflected
Off Yassine Meriah
Ben Youssef equals
Thanks Khazri the Tunisian Tsar
Khazri is the heartbeat
Of this energetic side
He meets Haddadi’s cross
2,500th goal in his stride
28 06 18
number7
© emdad rahman
Kane haiku
Kane proves he’s able,
Not the brother of Abel;
But still merciless
On England Japan Senegal & Colombia haiku-WC Day 11
England 6-1 Panama
as we fire in six
time to dream or say that it’s….
…only Panama?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Japan 2-2 Senegal
clean and playing fair
Samurai leave ev’ry ground
looking spick and span
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poland 0-3 Colombia
Colombia shine
with Falcao and Cuadrado…
Poland’s time is up
On the Eleventh Day…
Ingerland
Knock Panama into a cocked hat,
I raise my cap to Gareth and the chaps.
**************************
Los Cafeteros
Go to The Poles
It’s a landslide.
**********************
Japan
With the reliable Honda driving them on
Step up a gear to earn a draw with Senegal.
World Cup day 11
Kane hat trick breaks records
England 6-1 Panama
Despite the searing heat
It’s a Sunday English rout
Stones heads & Kane from the spot
Panama are on the way out
Stones again from a training set piece
After Lingard’s curler sublime
Kane hammers a second from the spot
Spurs Hat trick and Southgate calls time
Felipe Baloy made history
The Canal Men with a grateful huddle
Panama’s first World Cup goal
All they really wanted was a cuddle
Warriors share the spoils
Japan 2-2 Senegal
Both Japan and Senegal
Control their own fate
The Taranga Lions pegged
When Nihon left it late
Senegal use brawn and beauty
To feed Sadio Mane
Takashi Inui’s slick shot
Outshone by Moussa Wague
But Japan have their oldest squad
The wily Honda joins the attack
With wisdom and knowledge
He drags his team back
Sorry Poland pack their bags
Poland 0-3 Colombia
When the Colombians clicked
Poland were dreadfully below par
With some of the best football
Of the tournament so far
In came the short cross
James on it from the get go
Yerry Mina from close range
Falcao buries one low
Lewandowski starved of service
How he need a Quintero
Poland crash out in Kazan
With a third from Cuadrado
24 06 18
number7
© emdad rahman
Sweden Belgium England Win haiku~WC Day 5
Sweden 1-0 South Korea
South Korea raise
more questions for V A R
on that Sweden pen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belgium 3-0 Panama
Belgium at a stroll
like the sculptors they’ve become
carve new boys apart
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tunisia 1-2 England
patience brings reward
England snatch a last gasp win
Kane you believe it?
World Cup day 5
Swedes start life without Zlatan
Sweden 1-0 South Korea
Ibrahimovic had said earlier
“The World Cup without me,
is not worth watching”
To some that’s a desperate plea
But the Blågult kept their nerve
With Son’s pace on the counter spin
It’s been a long sixty years
Since an opening day win
With no Zlatan in charge
Granqvist with the penalty
It’s now about Toivonen and Berg
Teamwork and unity
Belgique rule the roost
Belgium 3-0 Panama
Belgium stroll literally
Not to mention metaphorically
Mertens with a superb volley
To liven things up in Sochi
They took a while to get going
But Lukaku headed number two
De Bruyne supplies the magic
As his Red Devil’s plot to go through
Too strong for the newbies
Hard feeding the drip
Martinez tops Group Three
Lukaku with a deft chip
Captain Kane to the rescue
Tunisia 1-1 England
It was a dream start for England
First blood from Captain Kane
Kyle Walker turned street brawler
Sassi exacting penalty pain
We saw an attack of the midges
Attacking without rhyme or reason
Gifts from the Volga River
After all it is breeding season
You can’t keep a class striker down
Three Lions with miss after miss
Harry Kane seals it at the death
Volgograd to see the back of this
18 06 18
number7
© emdad rahman
May Contain Hope ~ World Cup 2014 Remix
it’s hard work watching England
like watching fresh paint dry
the old guard have departed
we’re giving kids a try
we lower expectations
the flags are far and few
we should at least be grateful
we made the thirty two
we never thought we’d see the day
when this World Cup would be
without the likes of Holland
Chile ….Italy
the test will be the big boys
but hey it’s here at last
forget our hate of FIFA
for now it’s in the past
Up first we face Tunisia
and then it’s Panama
before the might of Belgium
at least we’ll get that far
we dare not look who we might face
if we should make it through
remember Wales and Iceland
whatever else you do ?
Wembley wasn’t crumbled
and built in just a day
we’re still a ‘work in progress’
there’s little more to say
our friendlies and prelimin’ries
they cloud the way we feel
we’re on another rocky road
a giant hamster wheel
the Vardys and the Sterlings
they flatter to deceive
we look to Kane and Rashford
to help us all believe
the cost of going won’t put off
our dreadful droning band
and still our fans will be there
to be the extra man
our manager has fresh ideas
and though he seems to cope
same old weasrning on the tin.
may contain hope !
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Latest Comments
28th July 2026 at 9:40 pm
Hi Denys. Thanks for your kind words. I could have mentioned Dixie Dean but decided not to.
Best wishes, mate
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26th July 2026 at 3:47 pm
Great knowledge of Everton history, Joe.
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23rd July 2026 at 6:54 pm
Hi Jason,
Sorry I forgot to congratulate you on your excellent poem as well.
Keep well
Joe
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23rd July 2026 at 6:43 pm
Hi Jason,
Thanks so much for your kind words about Kevin Keegan, a footballer of legendary status and deeply missed.
Best wishes
Joe
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23rd July 2026 at 12:01 pm
Thank you, Crispin. I will defo encorage my bunch to contribute and will of course clear it with staff room.
Many thanks
Jase
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22nd July 2026 at 6:48 pm
Great poem Jase.
You are a man of my own heart …
And great to hear that you your students poems from our site.
Keep on and more please
if ever some of your students write anything suitable for here and most importantly they give you permission to publish them, you can always do so under your name referencing their names and the school..and year.
Best Crispin
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22nd July 2026 at 10:29 am
I think this is best thing I have read so far about the legend. Thanks
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22nd July 2026 at 10:22 am
One of the greats, inspired my generation of school kids in the 80s
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23rd May 2026 at 3:35 pm
Hi Crispin,
Thanks for the featured poem for the Arsenal Premier League victory. I love that photo showing the Arsenal ladies and fans in full rattle and rosette mode. I’ve seen it before quite a few times and, I think, a bit iconic. I think it was before the Gunners victory against Liverpool in the 1950 FA Cup Final. Great photograph.
Thanks
Joe
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8th May 2026 at 4:21 pm
Thanks for that Joe. Yes it’s been some season we had a blip but came out of it and finished strong. A mate of mine supports West Ham here in Coventry and my next door neighbour is a Spurs supporter, and both are getting edgy ! I like the Championship though as it’s competitive and has some good teams, players, and fans. Anyway we are back in the top flight and who knows what will happen ?
Cheers. Kev.
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