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Mexico’s familiarity with altitude effectively gives them an extra player compared to England in their World Cup last-16 match, a performance expert has warned.
Thomas Tuchel’s men take on the co-hosts at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Sunday, 2,240 metres above sea level.
Mexico have won 70 out of 89 competitive matches at the Azteca, losing just two – to Costa Rica in 2001 and Honduras in 2013.
They have eight wins and two draws in World Cup fixtures at the venue, including wins over South Africa, the Czech Republic and Ecuador this tournament without conceding a goal.
James Barber, the lead performance specialist at The Altitude Centre, told the Press Association: “Mexico’s record at the Azteca speaks for itself.
“They’re massively successful there, and that’s because everything is just so much harder.
“There’s less oxygen available to you when you go to altitude, so you’ve got less oxygen going to your muscles, less oxygen going to the brain, and so across the course of 90 minutes you’re going to fatigue much more quickly, and that ability to sprint, having already sprinted, is going to be massively impaired.
“You’re playing against players who are potentially a bit more used to the altitude, either because they’ve lived there for a long period of time or they were born there, so they have some advantage.
“They’re being impacted by the altitude less, so it’s as though they almost have more space on the pitch when they’re playing against tired players. You could almost say it’s a bit like having an extra player.”
Asked about what players might physically feel, Barber added: “The first thing you’re going to feel is a massive sense of breathlessness, because your body’s just trying to hyperventilate to get more oxygen in, and to make space in your lungs for that oxygen.
“Your heart rate is going to be significantly elevated, even quite early into the early into the game.”
England will also be less used to the impact of altitude on the ball than their Mexican counterparts, Barber said.
“If you were to kick the ball as hard as sea level at altitude, it is going to fly further when you’re at altitude because there’s less air resistance to it,” he added.
“That’s why in the Mexico City Olympics (in 1968) all the throwers were setting world records. It is also going to impact on how the ball curves, because that’s related to air density.
“It might just be something that England are a bit less accustomed to than Mexico.”
Tuchel said after the last-32 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo that it is not physically possible for England to adapt to altitude in the time, which Barber agreed with.
“It’s very hard in that time, to be honest. Things like your hydration and your nutrition are really important in that time, and just making sure that they’re recovering well from yesterday’s match and from any travel. But no, you’re looking at a longer time frame (to adapt).”
England fans have routinely booed the hydration breaks at this World Cup, but in this game Barber believes they will be vital to the players.
“If I was a player, I would certainly want a three-minute break halfway through the half. I think it could be a useful thing,” he said.
“Obviously Mexico get them as well, so there’s no advantage there, but yeah, I think it might just help level the playing field a little bit.”
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Thomas Tuchel’s men take on the co-hosts at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Sunday, 2,240 metres above sea level.
Mexico have won 70 out of 89 competitive matches at the Azteca, losing just two – to Costa Rica in 2001 and Honduras in 2013.
They have eight wins and two draws in World Cup fixtures at the venue, including wins over South Africa, the Czech Republic and Ecuador this tournament without conceding a goal.
James Barber, the lead performance specialist at The Altitude Centre, told the Press Association: “Mexico’s record at the Azteca speaks for itself.
“They’re massively successful there, and that’s because everything is just so much harder.
“There’s less oxygen available to you when you go to altitude, so you’ve got less oxygen going to your muscles, less oxygen going to the brain, and so across the course of 90 minutes you’re going to fatigue much more quickly, and that ability to sprint, having already sprinted, is going to be massively impaired.
“You’re playing against players who are potentially a bit more used to the altitude, either because they’ve lived there for a long period of time or they were born there, so they have some advantage.
“They’re being impacted by the altitude less, so it’s as though they almost have more space on the pitch when they’re playing against tired players. You could almost say it’s a bit like having an extra player.”
Asked about what players might physically feel, Barber added: “The first thing you’re going to feel is a massive sense of breathlessness, because your body’s just trying to hyperventilate to get more oxygen in, and to make space in your lungs for that oxygen.
“Your heart rate is going to be significantly elevated, even quite early into the early into the game.”
England will also be less used to the impact of altitude on the ball than their Mexican counterparts, Barber said.
“If you were to kick the ball as hard as sea level at altitude, it is going to fly further when you’re at altitude because there’s less air resistance to it,” he added.
“That’s why in the Mexico City Olympics (in 1968) all the throwers were setting world records. It is also going to impact on how the ball curves, because that’s related to air density.
“It might just be something that England are a bit less accustomed to than Mexico.”
Tuchel said after the last-32 win over the Democratic Republic of the Congo that it is not physically possible for England to adapt to altitude in the time, which Barber agreed with.
“It’s very hard in that time, to be honest. Things like your hydration and your nutrition are really important in that time, and just making sure that they’re recovering well from yesterday’s match and from any travel. But no, you’re looking at a longer time frame (to adapt).”
England fans have routinely booed the hydration breaks at this World Cup, but in this game Barber believes they will be vital to the players.
“If I was a player, I would certainly want a three-minute break halfway through the half. I think it could be a useful thing,” he said.
“Obviously Mexico get them as well, so there’s no advantage there, but yeah, I think it might just help level the playing field a little bit.”
Continue reading...
