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MEXICO CITY — Estadio Azteca has come to be known by many superlatives throughout its 60 years. El Coloso. El Templo. A cathedral to football.
The history this pitch has seen, the altitude and the atmosphere − 80,824 fans packed into the stands, pulsing loud enough to make your ears ring and go numb, dancing to the point of making the stadium shake − has made it a fortress for Mexico and a daunting challenge for any opponent to step into.
Maybe no one knows that more than their upcoming round of 16 opponent: England.
"It’s an iconic stadium," manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters after England's 2-1 win over DR Congo on Wednesday. "Germany played there in the final (in 1986). So, I’m super excited to have this match. It’s an iconic match to have in Mexico against Mexico. We will play against the whole country, against the energy of the whole country, in their stadium.”
Forty years ago, the Three Lions fell 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals at this very stadium, behind two Diego Maradona goals that are arguably two of the most well-known in football history, each for very different reasons. The second goal was the iconic image of Maradona sprinting down the pitch by himself, effortlessly weaving in and out of traffic, avoiding English defenders, before finishing in front of the net.
The first goal, however, was the "Hand of God."
Six minutes into the second half, Maradona flicked the ball to teammate Jorge Valdano as he entered the box. Valdano couldn't quite hold onto it and the ball ended up finding England midfielder Steve Hodge, who kicked it in the air towards his own goal. Keeper Peter Shilton rose up to grab the ball, but Maradona was right there with him − with his left arm raised over his head. The ball hit Maradona's left hand and looped over Shilton into the goal to put Argentina up 1-0.
Now, England returns to Estadio Azteca for the first time since that infamous defeat. They'll be facing the ghosts of 1986 while simultaneously taking on a co-host country with one of, if not the most raucous crowd in all of sports − one that manager Javier Aguirre has referred to as their "12th player." England have already taken steps to try and mitigate the fans' impact, reportedly booking 15 different hotels in Mexico City in hopes to avoid Los Incondicionales showing up outside their door and setting off fireworks, like they did to Ecuador.
But perhaps England's most challenging obstacle will be the elevation. Estadio Azteca sits at 7,220 feet above sea level. England has been training in Kansas City, which has an average altitude of 909 feet.
"My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude," Tuchel said. "That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. 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, which is quite high. We knew that before."
Outside of the 1986 quarterfinal, England's results at the hallowed grounds have been a mixed bag. They beat Paraguay 3-0 in the round of 16 just before their ill-fated match against Argentina. The Three Lions have played Mexico in their home stadium twice before − a 0-0 draw in 1969 and a 1-0 El Tri win in 1985.
Mexico, on the other hand, rarely ever loses at their home stadium. Across 89 games, El Tri has 70 wins, 17 draws and eight losses. They have never lost a World Cup match at El Coloso de Santa Úrsula and currently carry an unbeaten streak at the stadium dating back to 2013.
England will still be the best team El Tri has faced at home in that entire span, with Portugal the only other team in the world's top 10 Mexico has played since.
Though big underdogs heading into the round of 16, Mexico has just the right mix of circumstances to further add to England's long-running woes at El Azteca. Tuchel, however, remains confident that his squad can overcome the many, many things stacked against it.
And, more importantly, he's ready to get a 40-year-old weight off the country's shoulders.
“Karma will come back for us," Tuchel said. "We will turn it around."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can England win at Estadio Azteca? History suggests otherwise
Continue reading...
The history this pitch has seen, the altitude and the atmosphere − 80,824 fans packed into the stands, pulsing loud enough to make your ears ring and go numb, dancing to the point of making the stadium shake − has made it a fortress for Mexico and a daunting challenge for any opponent to step into.
Maybe no one knows that more than their upcoming round of 16 opponent: England.
"It’s an iconic stadium," manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters after England's 2-1 win over DR Congo on Wednesday. "Germany played there in the final (in 1986). So, I’m super excited to have this match. It’s an iconic match to have in Mexico against Mexico. We will play against the whole country, against the energy of the whole country, in their stadium.”
Forty years ago, the Three Lions fell 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals at this very stadium, behind two Diego Maradona goals that are arguably two of the most well-known in football history, each for very different reasons. The second goal was the iconic image of Maradona sprinting down the pitch by himself, effortlessly weaving in and out of traffic, avoiding English defenders, before finishing in front of the net.
The first goal, however, was the "Hand of God."
Six minutes into the second half, Maradona flicked the ball to teammate Jorge Valdano as he entered the box. Valdano couldn't quite hold onto it and the ball ended up finding England midfielder Steve Hodge, who kicked it in the air towards his own goal. Keeper Peter Shilton rose up to grab the ball, but Maradona was right there with him − with his left arm raised over his head. The ball hit Maradona's left hand and looped over Shilton into the goal to put Argentina up 1-0.
Now, England returns to Estadio Azteca for the first time since that infamous defeat. They'll be facing the ghosts of 1986 while simultaneously taking on a co-host country with one of, if not the most raucous crowd in all of sports − one that manager Javier Aguirre has referred to as their "12th player." England have already taken steps to try and mitigate the fans' impact, reportedly booking 15 different hotels in Mexico City in hopes to avoid Los Incondicionales showing up outside their door and setting off fireworks, like they did to Ecuador.
But perhaps England's most challenging obstacle will be the elevation. Estadio Azteca sits at 7,220 feet above sea level. England has been training in Kansas City, which has an average altitude of 909 feet.
"My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude," Tuchel said. "That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have. 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, which is quite high. We knew that before."
Outside of the 1986 quarterfinal, England's results at the hallowed grounds have been a mixed bag. They beat Paraguay 3-0 in the round of 16 just before their ill-fated match against Argentina. The Three Lions have played Mexico in their home stadium twice before − a 0-0 draw in 1969 and a 1-0 El Tri win in 1985.
Mexico, on the other hand, rarely ever loses at their home stadium. Across 89 games, El Tri has 70 wins, 17 draws and eight losses. They have never lost a World Cup match at El Coloso de Santa Úrsula and currently carry an unbeaten streak at the stadium dating back to 2013.
England will still be the best team El Tri has faced at home in that entire span, with Portugal the only other team in the world's top 10 Mexico has played since.
Though big underdogs heading into the round of 16, Mexico has just the right mix of circumstances to further add to England's long-running woes at El Azteca. Tuchel, however, remains confident that his squad can overcome the many, many things stacked against it.
And, more importantly, he's ready to get a 40-year-old weight off the country's shoulders.
“Karma will come back for us," Tuchel said. "We will turn it around."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can England win at Estadio Azteca? History suggests otherwise
Continue reading...
