Thomas Tuchel points out the tough challenge England needs to beat in their game against Mexico
England made it to the World Cup round of 16 with a 2-1 win over DR Congo, and now they’ll play Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. Harry Kane scored twice in the last 15 minutes to come back from being 1-0 down at halftime, after Brian Cipenga gave DR Congo the early lead in the seventh minute.
This win was special for the Three Lions because it ended a 60-year-old record they didn’t want to keep. Next up is Mexico, and it won’t be easy since the game is away in Mexico. The Azteca Stadium is tough for visiting teams — Mexico has only lost twice there in their last 88 matches.
One big challenge is the altitude. The stadium is 7,200 feet above sea level, which makes it harder to play for teams not used to it. England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel, is concerned this could affect his players because they don’t have much time to adjust. Mexico, on the other hand, is used to playing at high altitude since they’ve played all their games in Mexico City or other places high up.
Tuchel explained, “The altitude is a big challenge because we can’t physically get used to it quickly. We only have three days between matches, so it’s just not possible to adapt. That’s a big advantage for Mexico. But we’re ready to deal with it and any other challenges.”
If England wins, they’ll face Brazil or Norway in the quarter-finals. Fans might start dreaming about finally ending the 60-year wait for a World Cup win. Sometimes, it feels like the pressure of that history makes the team tense, and it showed a bit in the game against DR Congo. But Tuchel doesn’t think his players are feeling the pressure. He said, “I didn’t see any of that. It would be easy to believe that story, but the team doesn’t feel it. That’s a very good sign.”