England face Mexico in Azteca fortress, returning to scene of Maradona handball
England face the home favourites in the round of 16 at the iconic Mexico City stadium on Sunday, saddled with a string of underwhelming performances, a massive altitude problem, and the ghosts of past traumatic failures on Mexican soil.
The Three Lions have not played a competitive match at the Azteca since their 1986 quarter-final defeat at the hands of Argentina, when 112,000 delirious fans witnessed Diego Maradona score the two most famous goals in football history – the first with a little help from the “Hand of God”.
“Cosmic kite, what planet are you from that you can leave so many Englishmen in your wake?” shouted Victor Hugo Morales in his famous live commentary, sobbing with joy after the Argentinian star sliced through the England defence to score his second, memorable goal.
Four decades later, England's journey back to the Mexico City has been far from smooth, with a thrilling opening defeat of Croatia followed by a draw against Ghana, a battling win over Panama, and an almighty scare against DR Congo in the round of 32.
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The Three Lions head to the Azteca with little time to prepare for the venue's 2,200-metre (7,220-foot) altitude, a factor Tuchel has acknowledged gives the home team a significant advantage.
“It is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures, the most exciting fixtures that you can have, to play against Mexico in the Azteca,” the German coach said ahead of the match. “And there will be a lot of obstacles waiting for us, not to mention the altitude will be, of course, a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days. It's just impossible.”
Striving to sound upbeat, Tuchel said he relished the challenge for his team, who have so far failed to live up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites.
“More obstacles may come, but we are ready for that,” he said. “We need it. Maybe we have the ideal platform now to genuinely believe that we are ready for that and when the going gets tough that we will find the answers.”
Sleepless nights
Mexico, by contrast, are brimming with confidence after winning their first four World Cup matches without conceding a goal – a feat previously achieved only by Brazil in 1986 and Italy in 1990.
An impressive 2-0 win over Ecuador at the Azteca delivered Mexico's first World Cup knockout triumph in four decades, with a sparkling first-half display many local observers hailed as one of the finest in the national team's history.
While Mexico are not among the favourites to win the World Cup, they boast a frightening record at the Azteca, losing just twice in 89 matches there. Sunday's match will be the last World Cup fixture at the iconic venue, and the co-hosts will be keen to leave their bastion with a bang. The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Fervent support extends well beyond the stadium. More than one million people took to the streets of Mexico's capital after the win over Ecuador, with raucous celebrations leaving at least four people dead. Ecuador filed a complaint with FIFA after their players were kept awake by Mexican fans using loudspeakers and horns outside their hotel ahead of the match.
Sleepless nights were a fixture of England's 1970 World Cup, another troubled campaign on Mexican soil, with local fans doing their best to unsettle the unpopular defending champions. Food poisoning then stripped the Three Lions of their talismanic goalkeeper Gordon Banks ahead of the crucial quarter-final against West Germany, which saw a dominant England surrender a 2-0 lead and slump to defeat in extra time.
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Tuchel's team are understood to be keeping the location of their hotel a secret, fearing similar disruption.
“We will expect that,” Tuchel told reporters, when quizzed about the prospect of fans keeping his players up all night. “But what shall we do? We will bring stuff (like ear plugs) of course, but I expect everything.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters)