Tuchel: England Struggling to acclimate to the altitude of Mexico City ahead of the World Cup match against the home team
The England manager states that Mexico’s experience with high-altitude conditions provides the home team with a significant edge in their round of 16 match.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has stated that it is unfeasible for his team to adjust to the altitude in Mexico City before their World Cup round of 16 match against Mexico on Sunday.
The Three Lions secured a meeting with the tournament co-hosts after rallying from behind to triumph over Congo DR with a score of 2 to 1 in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Brian Cipenga’s seventh-minute strike provided Congo DR with an early advantage, but Harry Kane netted twice in the last 15 minutes, surpassing Brazilian legend Pelé to reach 13 World Cup goals, five of which came in this tournament.
Mexico has played three of their four matches at the Azteca Stadium, located approximately 2,240 meters above sea level, while England is based in Kansas City and has traveled between venues throughout the competition.
Tuchel’s team is anticipated to head back to Kansas prior to their flight to Mexico City on Friday afternoon.
Reflecting on the encounter, Tuchel remarked: “I’ve just come from this match, and I’m trying to savor the moment, but it is perhaps one of the most beautiful and thrilling fixtures you can experience.”
“You play against Mexico in the Azteca, and there will be numerous challenges awaiting us.”
“Additionally, the altitude will certainly be a major obstacle, as we cannot physically acclimate to it in just four days.” It seems quite challenging, and additional obstacles may arise.
“However, we are prepared for that; it may be something we need.” We now possess the perfect platform to truly believe in our readiness, and when challenges arise, we will discover the solutions.
Tuchel expressed worries regarding potential off-field issues after Ecuador filed an official complaint with FIFA about fireworks being ignited outside their team hotel prior to their loss to Mexico.
“I’m uncertain about the smoothness of the travel, the quality of sleep, and whether there will be noise outside the hotel,” Tuchel remarked.
“Alright, let’s do this match.” It is an exceptionally beautiful and thrilling fixture. This team will face numerous challenges, but they will be ready to do whatever it takes.
The England boss maintained that his team had already acclimatized to the heat and humidity after arriving early in the United States for a pre-tournament camp in Florida.
“We arrived in the country quite early, specifically in the U.S., and effectively acclimated our bodies to the heat through rigorous training.” “That was essentially the concept, to acclimatize, so the players have a significant amount of heat training already in their bodies,” the 52-year-old said.
“That would assist them, so I believe the heat and humidity will not pose an issue for us. We are accustomed to that. Our training and prep camp in Florida made us used to it.
It is my belief that we are unable to adjust to the altitude. That represents a significant advantage for Mexico. Adjusting to the high altitude requires an excessive amount of time.
“We have just three days between these matches. This schedule is simply not feasible to adjust to the high altitude.
“We were aware of the situation beforehand, so it’s simply a challenge we must face. I believe we demonstrated the mindset that we are prepared for it, and from this point, we move forward.”
The victors of the matchup between Mexico and England will compete against either Brazil or Norway in the quarterfinals.
