Thomas Tuchel names the ‘impossible’ obstacle England must overcome in Mexico clash
England secured progression to the World Cup round of 16 with their 2-1 victory over DR Congo, where they will face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
A brace from Harry Kane in the final 15 minutes of the match was enough to overturn the one-goal deficit they faced at halftime after Brian Cipenga opened the scoring in the seventh minute for the African nation.
This victory was a historic one for the Three Lions as they managed to bring to an end an unwanted 60-year record.
Mexico awaits Thomas Tuchel’s side in the next round, and it promises to be a difficult challenge for the Three Lions as they face an away match against the North American side.
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It must be noted that El Tri are almost unbeatable at the Azteca Stadium, as they have only lost two of their last 88 matches at this venue.
A key reason for this is the altitude at which teams must face Mexico, with the stadium sitting 7,200 ft above sea level, and this is set to be a real test for England, with Tuchel worried about this impacting their progress in the World Cup.
Mexico are well accustomed to the thinner air, as they have played all four of their matches in Mexico at altitude, with three matches at the Azteca Stadium and the other in Guadalajara—which is around 5,000 ft above sea level.
Tuchel said: “The altitude will be a big disadvantage because we cannot physically adapt to it.
"It just takes too much time. We have only three days in between these matches. It's physically just not possible to adapt to the altitude.
"That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have.
"In four days, it's just impossible. More obstacles may come, but we are ready for that.
"This is just something with which we will have to deal. And I think we showed the attitude that we are ready for that."
A victory in this game would set up a quarter-final with either Brazil or Norway, and from here fans may be dreaming of ending their 60-year wait for a World Cup title.
There may be a feeling that with every round that England progresses through, the weight of the shirt grows as they look to end their 60 years of hurt, and this may have been seen in their performance against DR Congo.
However, Tuchel does not believe the team are feeling the pressure, as he said: “I did not see any of that.
"It would be so easy to give in and to accept that narrative. I didn't see any of that, and that is a very, very good sign."
Topics: Thomas Tuchel, England, FIFA World Cup, Football News
Brendan McGilligan