Panama are making their first-ever appearance at a World Cup finals tournament, and were beaten 3-0 in their opening game against Belgium last Tuesday morning.

However, their defender Harold Cummings says the team have regrouped and are ready to give it their all against England.

"We are going there to play hard. We are going there to compete." said the 26 year-old, who plays for San Jose Earthquakes in the American MLS.

"It is going to be man versus man and we are not going to look at the names on the back of the England jerseys. It is a good platform for us to show the world that Panama is ready for this level of competition."

England would do well to heed the warning. They have never faced The Canal Men before, however their World Cup record against CONCACAF nations suggests they might not be in for the easy ride that many expect.

It's an uneasy relationship which dates back to the 1950 World Cup, when a bunch of American part-timers stunned England to win 1-0 in possibly the greatest World Cup upset.

The Three Lions faced Trinidad and Tobago at the 2006 tournament in Germany, and were made to wait until the 83rd minute before Steven Gerrard struck to open the scoring in a ponderous 2-0 win.

In South Africa in 2010, England met the USA in their opening game. Gerrard scored again, but Fabio Capello's tedious team were pegged back and made to settle for a 1-1 draw.

It doesn't end there - in preparation for the World Cup in 2014, they played a warm-up friendly against Honduras which finished goalless, despite their opponents playing with ten men for over half an hour.

In the tournament proper, having already been eliminated, they met Costa Rica in their final group match desperate to restore some pride. Another insipid 0-0 draw ensued.