Azteca’s aura awaits England

CHENNAI: There are stadiums, and then there’s Azteca – Mexico’s fortress since 1966, where it has 70 wins, 17 draws and just two defeats. The last of the two defeats came against Honduras in September 2013 during the World Cup qualifiers.

At this World Cup, Mexico has an unbeaten record at the venue, with the El Tri defeating South Africa (2-0) and Ecuador (2-0) at the iconic venue. In particular, against Ecuador, the Azteca was bouncing up and down to the rhythm of its players, and their performances out there on the field.

Granted that Mexico hasn’t played a lot of quality sides through this incredible streak yet, it is a venue that can be intimidating and welcomes England with a lot of history. And it's head coach Thomas Tuchel was ready for the battle.

“We are in an iconic place, an iconic stadium, a massive game, a knockout game against Mexico at ‌the Azteca,” England’s head coach Thomas Tuchel was ready for the contest. “It’s an iconic match and a big stage, and we ‌feel ⁠it.”

“I don’t expect a hostile environment,” he said. “I think it will ⁠be emotional and full of support for the home nation. Altitude, it is what it is. Home crowd, it is what it is.

“We need to overcome obstacles, but we have the spirit, ‌the commitment, the pure will and the glue in the team to overcome these things.”

When England last played at this venue, it was in the 1986 World Cup in perhaps one of the most famous clashes in the cup’s history against Argentina, where Diego Maradona scored twice, including the famous ‘Hand of God’.

“Two goals against England: one that was dribbling, and one that would never stand these days,” he said on Thursday. "Super excited to have this match. It's an iconic match to play against Mexico in Mexico but we will play against the whole country, the energy of the whole country, in their stadium,” he had to add.

“It will reward us,” Tuchel said. “We will get it back. It’s karma. Karma will come back for us. We will turn it around.”

What sets Azteca apart from most of the stadiums hosting the World Cup this year is its altitude, with the venue sitting at 2,240m above sea level. So, how does the Three Lions hope to battle the altitude?

“We will go one night earlier,” the head coach said, reported The Athletic. “It makes sense. The ball will fly differently. It will fly maybe five yards more. It’s just difficult. We just need the experience.

“The recommendation is you either go ten days before which is too long for us or last minute, which is not allowed. We have spoken to teams who do it and they say they travel very very late on match day if they cannot have time to adapt. Find a mixture in between. It will stay as a disadvantage.”

If dealing with conditions wasn’t enough, the Three Lions will have to fight out 70,000 Mexican fans. On its best days, even Anfield or St James Park might struggle to match Azteca’s aura.