MEXICO CITY — Mexico manager Javier Aguirre is ignoring any talk of the altitude favouring his side when they face England at the Azteca Stadium in their World Cup round of 16 match and says all the discussions over the kick-off time potentially shifting has not impacted his team.
The knockout match on Sunday will be played in front of a huge home crowd, while Mexico have lost just two matches at the Azteca Stadium in the men’s team’s history. The game will also be played at altitude, with the Azteca sitting at 2,200 metres (7,220 feet) above sea level. But Aguirre is not paying any attention to those factors.
“English players, historically speaking, are pretty nimble and fast,” Aguirre said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. “They have major players who play both inside and outside the country, so they’re powerful, physically speaking. They have great players.
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“I remember ever since [Gareth] Southgate, their style has changed, Tuchel has kept that going with his own nuances and ideas and they play in two different ways. In the past, they were really fast and they caused trouble with long, wide passes, and second balls and long transitions. Yes, they do that today, but they move to something different if it’s not working.
“As for the altitude? I don’t focus on that, it’s 11 vs 11, the referee is there, so I don’t think about things like that. We’re both going to try and score in each other’s nets.”
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On Friday, just 48 hours before the match, it looked like the kick-off time was going to be changed, owing to forecast thunderstorms in the area. The suggestion was it was going to be shifted from 6pm local, to 12pm. Aguirre appeared on Mexican radio to voice his displeasure at the call, saying it was a “kick in the gut” and he “didn’t like it at all”.
At his press conference on Saturday, Aguirre explained his appearance saying:” I was told the match would be played at a different time and I said I wasn’t happy with the change. A day before the match, it was inconvenient and that’s all I said.”
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There have been other potential distractions with YouTuber Stephen Deleonardis sending the team Rolex watches after he bet on Mexico to beat Ecuador in the previous round. The watches have since been returned. “By mutual agreement, our players decided to return to the content creator the watches that he had gifted them on his own initiative,” read a statement from the Mexican FA.
When asked whether both incidents had distracted the team, Aguirre said: “You know who I am. I am practical. I am authentic so everything comes naturally to me. Both of those topics, I took naturally. Those things aren’t planned. I wasn’t looking for attention – both things were sorted out. You can rest assured those things are permutating through the group, they’re prepared, strong and ready to play a good match tomorrow. Those things can happen and went unnoticed for the players.”
Aguirre’s immediate task is to find a way for his team to get past England and the in-form Harry Kane. He says he’s been pouring over clips of the Premier League, and has been learning about how teams utilise throw-ins. As for England, he says they are a “top team” and Mexico will need to play a “near-perfect match” if they are to progress to the quarterfinal stage. And essential to Mexico getting past England will be their ability to halt Kane, who already has five goals this tournament.
“Harry Kane is a world star,” Aguirre said. “The goals he has scored with the team and with Bayern Munich, he’s a top, top player in the world. He’s tall, and good at defending, and the captain. Of course we will try to neutralise him with our defensive midfielders and try and keep him uncomfortable so he can’t build any pace.”
