After all, breathing was promised.
The Azteca’s famous heights – the iconic stadium that has immortalized itself as the patron of two World Cup finals – may well be its last World Cup game. Packing their suitcases with decades of grievances earned on this very grass, England were allowed to escape with a 3-2 victory in front of a crowd of more than 80,000, their version of the football gods weighing in on the scales.
It was a given that Mexico would come out swinging, as would a crowd of sluggers in the city’s dilapidated gym. All the armchair experts at altitude declared that the English needed to sit back and survive the first trimester. The Mexicans would be rough to begin with and the crowd knew they had a role to play.
Jordan Pickford watched it all unfold before his eyes. Mexico’s first real chance – a header from the country’s second-highest goalscorer. Raul Jimenez launched himself into the air and fired a powerful low effort from close range. The ball, traveling to the English bottom post, met the palm of Pickford – who likes to cast a wide shadow, go for the knockout game. The first quarter came and went and the Englishmen began to breathe a little more.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two totem poles in the England team. The responsibility for how far their rivalry goes often falls on Kane’s shoulders. But in a place where Pele and Maradona won World Cups, Jude Bellingham embodies the spirit of what it takes to earn the Azteca’s respect.
Bukayo Saka, starting under Thomas Tuchel, put in a looping cross from 6 yards on his right. Kane, always England’s target man, took two defenders with him and sold a dummy. And Bellingham scored the opener in the 36th minute with a header, but was still clinical despite the delay.
It is not finished. Kane cheated for the first goal and then turned provider a minute later. This time it was a drive through the Mexican backline that Bellingham latched on to. A big game from Bellingham appeared and it looked like England had found their bearings.
How wrong that idea was.
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Mexico raised hell with just ten minutes remaining in the first half. The Mexican waves in the stands were nothing compared to the waves on the pitch. One offensive move after another, all looking for a goal to bring them back into the match. Bellingham, who had scored twice and probably believed it was done and dusted, had to give up a last-ditch challenge to keep the scoreline 2-0. And then the Aztecs threw the first hook at the English.
Julian Quinones has lit up the Saudi Pro League with his goal-a-game exploits. Mexico’s Kon is a foil to the in-your-face directness of left-sided attacker Jimenez. In the 42nd minute, he pounced on a loose ball in the box and pulled a goal back for Mexico as the score was 2–1.
There was no end to the relentlessness as the second half began. Nine minutes into the half, and England were down to ten men. He was forced to make amends after England were sent off for a pointless stud-up challenge on Jarrell Kwansah. Saka would have to be brought out and Tuchel needed the experience of tall defender John Stones.
Six minutes into that red card, Anthony Gordon was brought down by goalkeeper Raul Rangel and his sprint hacked. Kane stepped up to the spot and fired a shot to his left to make it 3-1, with the numerical advantage still in Mexico’s hands but England’s side looked likely.
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But Mexico refused to go down without a fight. And England’s poor decisions didn’t help. This time it was Kane, who was calm for the penalty, but his high-footed attempt to clear the ball out of his own box and instead found a Mexican leg in his path.
Referee Alireza Faghani took a short jog on television and immediately gave his decision. Ken had made a mistake.
Jimenez, denied by Pickford in the first half, took a short strut, waited for the English keeper to make up his mind and then went the other way. In the Azteca’s powder keg, the striker in green and red remained calm and brought his country back in the 69th minute.
In the final minutes of the game, nine white shirts scored chances after one yellow shirt. The English held on, braved the rain and the proverbial storm, and when the last corner was saved, their feet collapsed and no more punishment was left. The host nation went out the best way possible, fighting to the bitter end.
England could finally breathe.
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Number of red cards: Azteca – 5, rest of World Cup venues – 0. A World Cup classic that ended in red.
England’s deliverance from the Aztecs came with its scars. Tuchel’s right-back position has been a domino card that has fallen from Reece James to DJ Spence to Kwansah – and all have blazed spectacularly one way or another ahead of their epic upcoming clash against Norway. But England will be without a lifeline against the Vikings in Jude Bellingham, who picked up a needless yellow card late in the game and will now miss the quarter-final against Norway in Miami.