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After Thomas Tuchel beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta. His mind was already in Mexico City and he didn’t like what he thought.
England booked their place in the last 16 with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with Harry Kane scoring twice in the final fifteen minutes to rescue a match that looked like it was slipping away.
Brian Cipenga’s seventh-minute goal had given the DRC a surprising early lead, but Kane scored twice in the final fifteen minutes.
It was the kind of performance that showed England’s character.
Tuchel was sincere from the moment the press conference began.
“It may be one of the most beautiful and exciting encounters you can have,” he said.
“We are playing Mexico at the Azteca and there will be many, many, many obstacles waiting for us.
“Not to mention the altitude, of course, it will be a big disadvantage, because we cannot physically adapt to it in four days. It is simply impossible and maybe more obstacles will arise. But we are prepared for it.”
The altitude of the Azteca Stadium is approximately 2240 meters above sea level, approximately 7220 feet.
At that height, players burn oxygen faster, their legs tire more quickly, and recovery between sprints takes longer.
Mexico has already played three of its four World Cup games at the Azteca.
Your lungs are ready. England’s are not, and Tuchel knows there is nothing he can do about it in four days.
When asked if his squad would undergo specialized physical preparation for altitude, Tuchel was blunt.
“It’s not possible,” he said. “The heat and humidity will not be a problem for us, we are used to that from training and our preparation camp in Florida.
“My understanding is that we can’t adapt to the altitude. That’s just a big advantage that Mexico will have.”
The story of the encounter adds another layer of weight to the occasion.
The last time England played a World Cup match at the Azteca was in the quarterfinals of Mexico 1986, when Diego Maradona’s Hand of God and Goal of the Century closed their tournament in the most painful and unforgettable way imaginable.
Almost forty years later, England return to the same stadium, against the same host country, in the same knockout round.
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Tuchel is also prepared for other challenges beyond the physical ones.
Ecuador filed an official complaint with FIFA after fireworks were set off outside its team hotel in Mexico City the night before losing 2-0 to Mexico in the group stage.
“I’m not sure if the trip will be quiet, if the sleep will be quiet, if there will be noise outside the hotel,” Tuchel added.
He allowed himself a lighter moment.
“Write an excuse to go to school and let them watch football,” Tuchel told young English fans in his country, who will watch Sunday’s game late into the night.
“They have a lot of school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years.”
England versus Mexico. The Aztecs. Sunday night.
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The altitude, the noise, the history and forty years of unfinished business waiting on the other side.
Thomas Tuchel says it is impossible to prepare for what is coming. England will leave anyway.
