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Azteca thriller ends 3-2
England advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-2 win over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in a 98-second span in the first half and Harry Kane adding a second-half penalty.
“Mexico's defeat to England in the World Cup Round of 16 had an epilogue that until about a month ago would have been unthinkable: while the British players celebrated before their fans at one end of the Azteca Stadium, on the other side the local fans bid farewell with applause and chants to a tri-color national team that had managed to move a country”
The match turned after Jarell Quansah was sent off in the second half, leaving England with 10 men for the best part of an hour as Mexico pushed for an equalizer.
At altitude in Mexico City, with a capacity crowd of 80,824, the game became a tense defensive stand for England as Mexico scored twice but could never equalize.
The Independent described the night as “an epic game worthy of the Azteca,” while ESPN called it a World Cup classic with “five goals, two penalties, a red card, controversy, aggro, comebacks, tension” in a match that ended with England hanging on.
Tuchel, Henderson and next
Thomas Tuchel’s tactical management was central to England’s progression, with BBC Sport saying the match felt like “five smaller games” as England managed distinct phases against Mexico’s intensity and altitude.
BBC Sport also quoted assistant coach Anthony Barry saying, “We prepared the players that up until the first water break it would be a difficult game,” as England aimed to keep the score at 0-0 at halftime.
After the final whistle, Jordan Henderson suffered a freak injury during celebrations when he fell over the advertising hoardings, and the Independent said there were fears his World Cup was over.
England’s next match is a quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday, with the Independent framing the matchup as a turn to sweltering temperatures that could “feel like 44C” for England v Norway.
Bellingham’s brace, Mexico’s exit
Mexico’s World Cup run ended in the round of 16 as El Tri lost 3-2 to England at Estadio Azteca, despite scoring twice and having a man advantage for most of the second half.
NPR reported that Mexico had not conceded a goal in its first four World Cup matches, but Jude Bellingham scored twice in a 98-second span in the first half to break that run.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said, “To dream and then fall like this hurts deeply, but the players should leave with their heads held high,” after the defeat eliminated Mexico and ended hopes for their first quarterfinal appearance since 1986.
With England’s win, the New York Times noted that the day’s controversy included FIFA’s decision to allow Folarin Balogun to play for the U.S. in its round-of-16 clash with Belgium in Seattle, while the World Cup itself moved on to England’s quarter-final against Norway.
