England Makes History as Third Team Ever to Defeat Mexico at the Iconic Azteca Stadium
The double strike from Bellingham sent shockwaves through the Azteca Stadium, with the Mexican faithful struggling to come to terms with the sudden turn of events. England, on the other hand, were buoyed by the goals, and their confidence grew as they continued to dictate the tempo of the game. The Mexican players, who had started the match with such intensity, began to tire, and their usual precision in possession started to wane. As the half-time whistle approached, England were firmly in control, with their disciplined defensive display and clinical finishing having paid dividends. The statistics at the break made for impressive reading for Tuchel's side, with England having enjoyed 53% of possession and outshot their opponents 8-4. With a two-goal cushion to protect, England would have been aware of the importance of navigating the second half without conceding, particularly given Mexico's reputation for dramatic comebacks. The question on everyone's mind was whether El Tri could summon the strength and resilience to overturn the deficit and keep their World Cup dreams alive.
The double from Bellingham was his only two touches in the box in the first half, and arguably two of his most important in a national team shirt. Coupled with seven accurate passes from eight attempted, six total duels attempted, and a 100% tackle success, his was an individual performance of real note. Before half-time, however, the Azteca came alive again as Julian Quinones was left all alone after a Mexican free-kick, and he hammered the ball into the roof of the net to reduce the deficit.
Pickford's second astonishing stop of the half from a flying Jimenez header, and Bellingham's last-ditch tackle both saved a certain second goal for Mexico, in a game that had become the most absorbing watch. Nico O'Reilly's shot against the woodwork at the beginning of the second half served notice on Mexico that England were still a threat, and with the hosts having to chase the game, it afforded the Three Lions more room to work in.
Elliot Anderson's winning back of possession on four occasions, and four duels won from five attempted, perfectly complemented his passing range as England took control of the central areas. However, their task was made that much harder when Quansah was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Jesus Gallardo, which required the intervention of VAR, and which energised the home support once more.
When Gordon used his pace to latch onto a Kane flick on and tempt Raul Rangel into a foul, Kane was then given a chance to score his sixth goal of the tournament from the spot. Despite a long delay thanks to Mexican protests, the England captain made no mistake with his first shot on target to give his side a two-goal advantage again. With just over 20 minutes to play, more incessant Mexican protests resulted in a VAR review of a Kane challenge.
The official, Alireza Faghani, determined a foul had been committed, and Jimenez scored from the resultant penalty in a game that you couldn't take your eyes off. There appeared to be a very real possibility that Faghani was going to struggle to retain control, as tempers frayed on both sides. Indeed, 12 fouls committed by Mexico were their most in a match in this edition of the tournament.
After the second hydration break, Tuchel's defensive substitutions meant England adopted a back five in order to stem the wave of attacks from El Tri. The match had taken on a real attack vs defence feel, and that was evidenced by Mexico's 62.6% collective possession, compared to England's 37.4%. Unable to put together any sort of sustained possession, a backs-against-the-wall showing from the Three Lions continued to frustrate the hosts.
With five minutes left of normal time, Mexico had attempted an astonishing 34 crosses to England's four, but every English player was doing their bit. Gordon, Bellingham and Kane alone had been involved in 42 one-on-one duels. Despite not having a shot on goal after Kane's 60th-minute effort, and with 11 minutes of injury time added on, England held on for one of the most famous victories in their entire history, in the stadium where 40 years previously the 'Hand of God' had seen them sent home. Perhaps divine intervention was in play once more here, as the Lions roar on.
The double from Bellingham was his only two touches in the box in the first half, and arguably two of his most important in a national team shirt. Coupled with seven accurate passes from eight attempted, six total duels attempted, and a 100% tackle success, his was an individual performance of real note. Before half-time, however, the Azteca came alive again as Julian Quinones was left all alone after a Mexican free-kick, and he hammered the ball into the roof of the net to reduce the deficit.
Pickford's second astonishing stop of the half from a flying Jimenez header, and Bellingham's last-ditch tackle both saved a certain second goal for Mexico, in a game that had become the most absorbing watch. Nico O'Reilly's shot against the woodwork at the beginning of the second half served notice on Mexico that England were still a threat, and with the hosts having to chase the game, it afforded the Three Lions more room to work in.
Elliot Anderson's winning back of possession on four occasions, and four duels won from five attempted, perfectly complemented his passing range as England took control of the central areas. However, their task was made that much harder when Quansah was sent off for a studs-up challenge on Jesus Gallardo, which required the intervention of VAR, and which energised the home support once more.
When Gordon used his pace to latch onto a Kane flick on and tempt Raul Rangel into a foul, Kane was then given a chance to score his sixth goal of the tournament from the spot. Despite a long delay thanks to Mexican protests, the England captain made no mistake with his first shot on target to give his side a two-goal advantage again. With just over 20 minutes to play, more incessant Mexican protests resulted in a VAR review of a Kane challenge.
The official, Alireza Faghani, determined a foul had been committed, and Jimenez scored from the resultant penalty in a game that you couldn't take your eyes off. There appeared to be a very real possibility that Faghani was going to struggle to retain control, as tempers frayed on both sides. Indeed, 12 fouls committed by Mexico were their most in a match in this edition of the tournament.
After the second hydration break, Tuchel's defensive substitutions meant England adopted a back five in order to stem the wave of attacks from El Tri. The match had taken on a real attack vs defence feel, and that was evidenced by Mexico's 62.6% collective possession, compared to England's 37.4%. Unable to put together any sort of sustained possession, a backs-against-the-wall showing from the Three Lions continued to frustrate the hosts.
With five minutes left of normal time, Mexico had attempted an astonishing 34 crosses to England's four, but every English player was doing their bit. Gordon, Bellingham and Kane alone had been involved in 42 one-on-one duels. Despite not having a shot on goal after Kane's 60th-minute effort, and with 11 minutes of injury time added on, England held on for one of the most famous victories in their entire history, in the stadium where 40 years previously the 'Hand of God' had seen them sent home. Perhaps divine intervention was in play once more here, as the Lions roar on.
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