England keep Mexico venue quiet to avoid local disruption before World Cup tie
England are implementing measures to prevent disruptions from local supporters ahead of their World Cup last-16 match against Mexico. The team is scheduled to arrive in Mexico City on Friday, two days before the Sunday fixture, which kicks off at 01:00 BST on Monday and will be broadcast live. This earlier arrival marks a change from their usual practice of landing in the host city the night before a game.
The decision to keep their accommodation undisclosed follows an incident involving Mexico‘s previous opponents, Ecuador. Ecuador lodged a complaint with Fifa, alleging that noisy Mexico supporters used loudspeakers, horns, and motorcycles outside their team hotel, the Westin Hotel in Mexico City, to disturb their sleep. While England aims to keep its location private, there is concern that the information could still be leaked on social media.
To counter potential disturbances, England players and staff who do not have their own sleeping aids, such as earplugs or sleep bands, will be provided with natural sleep remedies or white noise audio machines. These provisions are intended to ensure that players’ rest is not affected by external noise.
Altitude challenges and training adjustments
Another significant challenge for England will be playing at high altitude. Mexico City has an average elevation of approximately 2,240 metres above sea level, which means less oxygen is available. This can impact player performance, particularly for those not accustomed to such conditions. Mexico has played all four of its World Cup matches so far in high-altitude environments, with three games at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City and one in Guadalajara, which is about 1,566 metres above sea level.
Ideally, athletes competing at high altitude would spend one to two weeks at that level to acclimatise and allow their bodies to generate more red blood cells. However, England manager Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that his team will be at a disadvantage due to the short adaptation period.
Tuchel stated that physical adaptation to the altitude is impossible in four days, describing it as a “huge advantage” for Mexico. He noted that the team has only three days between matches, making it physically unfeasible to adapt to the high altitude. Despite these obstacles, Tuchel expressed confidence in his team’s readiness to deal with the situation.
Previously, England held their part-open training sessions in Kansas before flying to the US city where their game was scheduled. However, for the match against Mexico, it has been decided that England will train in Mexico instead, fulfilling Fifa‘s requirement for teams to hold a part-open training session the day before a game.
Right-back considerations for the upcoming fixture
The upcoming trip to Mexico‘s Azteca Stadium also brings into focus the right-back position for England. The team has seen five different players feature at right-back during this World Cup: Reece James, Jarell Quansah, Djed Spence, Declan Rice, and Ezri Konsa. Only one of these players is considered to have right-back as their genuinely preferred position.
The original squad included Tino Livramento, and Ben White might have been an option if not for injury. Manager Thomas Tuchel may need to consider a sixth player for the right-back role for the match against Mexico. Among the options, some names mentioned include Harry Kane, Dan Burn, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Matty Cash. Other less conventional suggestions have also been put forward.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is an England-born right-back who has performed well in an England game during this World Cup, despite also being a Democratic Republic of Congo international. Matty Cash, another England-born right-back, is a Poland international and a Europa League winner. The team will face Mexico in their World Cup last-16 tie on Sunday.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
Reuben Castle is the Sports News Writer at News GB, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from print into digital sport news. He holds a degree in Journalism from Coventry University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Coventry, he follows the Open Championship and amateur boxing. “Accuracy first; the analysis can follow.”
