On Tuesday night, Mexico’s football team secured a thrilling victory over Ecuador, setting the stage for a monumental World Cup last-16 clash against England on Sunday. This win has sparked a wave of excitement, coinciding with warnings of an impending storm that threatens to bring flooding and complicate what many are calling one of the most significant matches in Mexico’s football history.
FIFA was informed that the match kick-off would need to be shifted from 6 PM local time (1 AM Monday BST) to midday. However, after extensive discussions involving various stakeholders, it was ultimately decided the match would stay at 6 PM. A considerable amount of effort was spent on this logistical issue, leading to a flurry of activity without any change.
The atmosphere in Mexico City following the victory over Ecuador remains vivid, with streets around El Ángel de la Independencia packed with fans. Reports suggest that up to a million supporters took to the streets, creating a cacophony of celebration that is expected to resurface as the match approaches.
Chaos is not only a theme in Mexico; England experienced their fair share during their last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday. Manager Thomas Tuchel sensed the turmoil early in the game, recalling his pre-match statement.
“It can be a game of patience and we must not freak out,”
Despite the warning, England found themselves in disarray during a crucial phase of the match, trying too hard and becoming overly anxious. They were trailing 1-0 at the hydration break, prompting England substitute Reece James to urge teammate Jude Bellingham to regain focus.
Fueled by adrenaline, England managed to create multiple scoring opportunities, eventually securing a 2-1 victory thanks to two late goals from Harry Kane. However, concerns lingered; if they display similar erratic behavior at the Azteca Stadium, they may not survive to compete another day.
Mexico is poised to start the match like a whirlwind, particularly in the first 20 minutes, leveraging the advantage of playing at high altitude (2,240 meters above sea level). “The first 20 minutes … the other players will be needing some breath, some air,” noted Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez. “That’s when we can make the difference.”
Tuchel is aware of the impending challenge and emphasizes the importance of composure and cohesion among his players. “We are fully aware that it took us basically a whole quarter [against the DRC] to adapt in our press,” he remarked. “We are fully committed to the effort that we put in but it’s not economical. We don’t choose the moments great. And we go too early, when we’re not set. “We are impatient. And it has knock-on effects: the first one goes too early, the second one joins, no one says: ‘No, no, we don’t go.’ The third one just goes and wants to repair it and this leaves us disjointed, with too big distances. So we know, and we worked on it, that we need to pick our moments better; where to press, when to press. Then we need to be more in sync, we need to be more compact.”
“We’re too fast in our attacks,”
The anxiety has also been evident in their attacking play, particularly in crucial scoring situations. Up until the last-32 stage, no team squandered more so-called ‘big chances’ than England, missing 15, with six occurring against the DRC. France followed with 12 missed chances.
“It’s almost like every attack plays out like a fast attack. We need to understand that sometimes the door is closed, it doesn’t help if you rush into it. Try the other door. Find another way. And worship the ball possession. Also to recharge. Otherwise we just run our batteries down with a huge effort and not so much reward. Talking about the first 15-20 minutes, we also expect that it feels very, very hard. What other teams tell us who went in there late, without acclimatisation, is that the first 15-20 minutes are where you basically hit a wall. But when you go through it, it gets better. That’s exactly why Mexico starts their games like this. They just want to suffocate you.” Tuchel explained. “more afraid to drop out than have the excitement and hunger to win”
As England navigates their fourth match in just 13 days, Tuchel acknowledges the toll this schedule takes on his players. However, he remains committed to his vision. “It’s because we’re a bit rushed in everything we do,” he stated. “We lack a bit of patience. I still think we create a lot of chances against teams who don’t concede. I know what you mean [about the lack of identity]. I think physicality-input is the identity of the Premier League and we will try to stay brave, play up front and put players into the last lines, play with wingers.”
“We haven’t abandoned at all,”
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