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07/04 20:40 CDT England faces Mexico at ?monster' stadium where El Tri has yet
to concede a goal at this World Cup
England faces Mexico at ?monster' stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a
goal at this World Cup
By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
AP Sports Writer
MEXICO CITY (AP) --- Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World
Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, its best chance in a generation arrives. Playing
on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri
will face England in the Round of 16 --- in what is arguably the most important
match in Mexican soccer history.
Mexico boasts an incredible record in official matches at Estadio Azteca. Since
the venue opened in 1966, the national team has suffered just two defeats
there, the latter of which was over a decade ago against Honduras in September
2013.
"The stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws, and
the few losses --- which were just accidents," said Hugo Snchez, the striker
who played in the 1986 World Cup and now works as an ESPN analyst. "We approach
this with optimism because we know it's England, but if we play the way we did
against Ecuador, we can beat them."
The numbers back up the myth. Across the 1970, 1986, and current World Cups on
home soil, Mexico has played 10 matches at Azteca, winning eight and drawing
two. In this tournament alone, El Tri has secured three home wins without
conceding a goal: 2-0 against South Africa and 3-0 against Czech Republic in
the group stage, and 2-0 against Ecuador in the Round of 32. Mexico also
defeated South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara in the group stage.
It's the first time Mexico has started a World Cup by winning four consecutive
matches.
"We have played three World Cups in Mexico; it is hard for me to say if it is
(the biggest match). In 1970 we played Italy for the semifinals, in '86 we
played Germany also for the semifinals," Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said
Saturday. "There have been several important matches in history and tomorrow is
certainly one of them."
Breaking the curse These results have ignited the hopes of millions of Mexicans, many of whom weren't even born the last time the nation reached the quarterfinals. After achieving that feat in 1986, Mexico's World Cup history became a psychological hurdle: It missed the 1990 tournament, followed by seven consecutive, agonizing Round of 16 exits before failing to escape the group stage four years ago in Qatar. "I'm one of those who couldn't make it through; it happened to me in South Africa and Korea," said Aguirre, who coached El Tri during those campaigns. "It's deeply painful because you play a great group stage, only to be knocked out for a variety of reasons." Mexico's eliminations comprise a catalog of heartbreaks, including a penalty shootout loss to Bulgaria in 1994 when Aguirre was an assistant coach under Miguel Meja Barn and defeats in 1998 and 2014 to Germany and the Netherlands when El Tri squandered late leads in the final minutes. "We will be facing a top-four team in the world according to FIFA, a world champion in '66 and one country with a great league," Aguirre said. "In order to beat them, we need to do a nearly perfect match and to be better than what we've been so far." Now, the script could flip. At Azteca --- which sits 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level --- Mexico will rely heavily on the altitude and the backing of a ferocious home crowd, as it did in the group stage. "England is one of the great national teams in the history of football, with outstanding players. We all agreed that we wanted a match like this," midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo said Saturday. "We are in great form, the Azteca is an intimidating venue, and ultimately, it's a World Cup Round of 16 match. That's never easy for anyone."
The English challenge England enters the knockout stage fresh off a 2-1 victory over Congo, powered by a pair of goals from star striker Harry Kane. Kane headlines an elite English squad that reached the quarterfinals at the last World Cup before falling to eventual finalist France. A victory for the Three Lions would send them to the quarterfinals for the sixth time in their history --- and the third consecutive time --- keeping alive the dream of a title that has eluded them since 1966. On paper, England holds the clear advantage in talent, led by Premier League standouts, whereas Mexico's spearhead is Julin Quiones, the top scorer in the Saudi League. "We have very experienced players who play in the toughest leagues and the biggest clubs in the world. We all know these games from Champions League matches where you play up against, against the energy of a stadium and that we are prepared for that," England coach Thomas Tuchel said Saturday. "We are prepared for strong start of the Mexican team. I guess they will they will try to give us a taste of intensity." However, the playing conditions could serve as the ultimate equalizer. England arrived in the northern part of Mexico City on Friday night, a mere two days before kickoff. Sports scientists and altitude experts generally recommend two options for high-altitude competition: Arrive weeks in advance for full acclimatization or fly in as close as possible to kickoff. By choosing a 48-hour window, England has entered the dead zone experts warn against. "We feel it. Even if we don't train, we feel it. I felt a slight headache. And in the hotel room through the day, didn't sleep as well as the days before, but nothing that you cannot handle," Tuchel said. "It's just what it is. We cannot physically adapt. It's just impossible. But we are here one day before to experience it, at least to not have all the first time experience in the warm-up." To compound the strain, passionate Mexican fans are already plotting psychological warfare. Hundreds are expected to converge on England's hotel to disrupt players' sleep --- a tactic deployed against Ecuador, when fans used loudspeakers, drums and revving motorcycles into the early-morning hours. England is attempting to remain unfazed. "We had no issues last night. I think FIFA took care of the situation. And we have security around the hotel, so we expect a good night of sleep," Tuchel said. "I don't want to talk about problems that don't exist yet." ___ AP Soccer Writer James Robson in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
Breaking the curse These results have ignited the hopes of millions of Mexicans, many of whom weren't even born the last time the nation reached the quarterfinals. After achieving that feat in 1986, Mexico's World Cup history became a psychological hurdle: It missed the 1990 tournament, followed by seven consecutive, agonizing Round of 16 exits before failing to escape the group stage four years ago in Qatar. "I'm one of those who couldn't make it through; it happened to me in South Africa and Korea," said Aguirre, who coached El Tri during those campaigns. "It's deeply painful because you play a great group stage, only to be knocked out for a variety of reasons." Mexico's eliminations comprise a catalog of heartbreaks, including a penalty shootout loss to Bulgaria in 1994 when Aguirre was an assistant coach under Miguel Meja Barn and defeats in 1998 and 2014 to Germany and the Netherlands when El Tri squandered late leads in the final minutes. "We will be facing a top-four team in the world according to FIFA, a world champion in '66 and one country with a great league," Aguirre said. "In order to beat them, we need to do a nearly perfect match and to be better than what we've been so far." Now, the script could flip. At Azteca --- which sits 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level --- Mexico will rely heavily on the altitude and the backing of a ferocious home crowd, as it did in the group stage. "England is one of the great national teams in the history of football, with outstanding players. We all agreed that we wanted a match like this," midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo said Saturday. "We are in great form, the Azteca is an intimidating venue, and ultimately, it's a World Cup Round of 16 match. That's never easy for anyone."
The English challenge England enters the knockout stage fresh off a 2-1 victory over Congo, powered by a pair of goals from star striker Harry Kane. Kane headlines an elite English squad that reached the quarterfinals at the last World Cup before falling to eventual finalist France. A victory for the Three Lions would send them to the quarterfinals for the sixth time in their history --- and the third consecutive time --- keeping alive the dream of a title that has eluded them since 1966. On paper, England holds the clear advantage in talent, led by Premier League standouts, whereas Mexico's spearhead is Julin Quiones, the top scorer in the Saudi League. "We have very experienced players who play in the toughest leagues and the biggest clubs in the world. We all know these games from Champions League matches where you play up against, against the energy of a stadium and that we are prepared for that," England coach Thomas Tuchel said Saturday. "We are prepared for strong start of the Mexican team. I guess they will they will try to give us a taste of intensity." However, the playing conditions could serve as the ultimate equalizer. England arrived in the northern part of Mexico City on Friday night, a mere two days before kickoff. Sports scientists and altitude experts generally recommend two options for high-altitude competition: Arrive weeks in advance for full acclimatization or fly in as close as possible to kickoff. By choosing a 48-hour window, England has entered the dead zone experts warn against. "We feel it. Even if we don't train, we feel it. I felt a slight headache. And in the hotel room through the day, didn't sleep as well as the days before, but nothing that you cannot handle," Tuchel said. "It's just what it is. We cannot physically adapt. It's just impossible. But we are here one day before to experience it, at least to not have all the first time experience in the warm-up." To compound the strain, passionate Mexican fans are already plotting psychological warfare. Hundreds are expected to converge on England's hotel to disrupt players' sleep --- a tactic deployed against Ecuador, when fans used loudspeakers, drums and revving motorcycles into the early-morning hours. England is attempting to remain unfazed. "We had no issues last night. I think FIFA took care of the situation. And we have security around the hotel, so we expect a good night of sleep," Tuchel said. "I don't want to talk about problems that don't exist yet." ___ AP Soccer Writer James Robson in Atlanta contributed to this report. ___ See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
