Mexico at The Azteca is Really Something Special

[Carborundum]

Mexico haven't lost a competitive match at the Azteca since 2013

And didn't concede a goal in their group stage either

If we pick every Arsenal player in the squad, swap in Big Dan Burn and play for set pieces, we have a chance.  Dan really can't do worse than our current defenders and it's practically a free header every time. 

[perry geyton]

Men versus boys

We have Harry Kane and they have a 36 year old Raul playing up front

Play this game at sea level and we smash them, the Mexicans have found a way to cripple teams by playing up on a mountain top

This will eventually catch up with them cos theyre simply not that good

[Grassy Noel]

Mexico haven't lost a competitive match at the Azteca since 2013

And didn't concede a goal in their group stage either

If we pick every Arsenal player in the squad, swap in Big Dan Burn and play for set pieces, we have a chance.  Dan really can't do worse than our current defenders and it's practically a free header every time. 

I totally agree about Dan Burn. He may not be a great footballer but he can give us a command in the air that is very lacking and dependent on people like Kane who could be elsewhere at times.

[Bassey the warrior]

Men versus boys

We have Harry Kane and they have a 36 year old Raul playing up front

Play this game at sea level and we smash them, the Mexicans have found a way to cripple teams by playing up on a mountain top

This will eventually catch up with them cos theyre simply not that good

I admire your confidence but not sure our performances in defence have warranted it. Also a bit too reliant on Kane and Bellingham still. We'll need to score first.

[perry geyton]

Macchu Picchu in Peru is roughly the same Elevation as the Azzteca

John Peel died up there from a heart attack caused by the elevation, I myself went up there and could barely move for the first few days, constantly out of Breath chewing on coco leaves, everything was hard work

That along with the heat

You could say that Mexico has basically found a way to cheat theyre way through this tournament so far IMO

[perry geyton]

Men versus boys

We have Harry Kane and they have a 36 year old Raul playing up front

Play this game at sea level and we smash them, the Mexicans have found a way to cripple teams by playing up on a mountain top

This will eventually catch up with them cos theyre simply not that good

I admire your confidence but not sure our performances in defence have warranted it. Also a bit too reliant on Kane and Bellingham still. We'll need to score first.

Agreed but I'm telling you they are not that good, they only look decent because of the circumstances

They are running on luck

[southwest6]

The altitude thing is a genuine advantage especially if they're accustomed to it. I would think there was some kind of foresight in the england camp regarding this eventuality...

i recently did a backpacking trip with my partner around south america, where we spent over a month travelling up the andes from argentina to colombia, and f*** me, some of the hikes we did at >3k meters were brutal. I climbed Austria peak (5,3k m) just outside La Paz with my cousin, which is 'only' a 900m ascent, but i can confidently say it was the single hardest physical activity i've ever done. I'd consider myself a very fit 29 year old male - and so would my cousin mind you (she runs many marathons) - and she also agreed it was harder than any marathon she'd ran. 5,3k is different to 2k, but if you actually think the english boys ain't gonna feel that, then you are really mistaken.

[NogoodBoyo]

The irony is that Mexico Distrito Federale not up a mountain, it's a giant smog-filled bowl surrounded by mountains.  At least, it was when I spent a month there in 1978.
Having said that, I have also been to the Karakorams, the Hindu Kush, the Alps, the Andes, Eryri and Llaregyb Hill.  Altitude can lead to exhaustion - even sickness in the first two or three days.
I went up a hill and came down a mountain.
Nogood "playing what's in front us, isit" Boyo

[Steeeeeeeeeed]

Sky Sports Expert on the Azteca Altitude thing...

https://youtu.be/VvL3YsOvuuE?is=YlQw4fr4PYzXs4Pj

[perry geyton]

The irony is that Mexico Distrito Federale not up a mountain, it's a giant smog-filled bowl surrounded by mountains.  At least, it was when I spent a month there in 1978.
Having said that, I have also been to the Karakorams, the Hindu Kush, the Alps, the Andes, Eryri and Llaregyb Hill.  Altitude can lead to exhaustion - even sickness in the first two or three days.
I went up a hill and came down a mountain.
Nogood "playing what's in front us, isit" Boyo

Yep it makes you nauseous
I felt like I constantly wanted to puke when I was up there for the first couple of days

[Chi_FFC]

Sky Sports Expert on the Azteca Altitude thing...

https://youtu.be/VvL3YsOvuuE?is=YlQw4fr4PYzXs4Pj

He mentioned something I did here yesterday, the prevailing school of thought is if you don't have adequate time to get acclimated you should fly in the night before the match. Surprised England is going in tomorrow.

One thing worth noting re Mexico's formidable record at Azteca (which is undoubtedly a very tough place to play for their opposition) is that they very rarely play good teams there. A huge portion of those matches are against very weak Concacaf opposition. As I mentioned earlier the US (the other big dog in Concacaf) hasn't lost there in their last four matches.

[General]

I have a feeling, given how we're playing so far, that we will struggle to win vs Mexico. Not only in Mexico, at altitude, at their home stadium, but fans likely making noise outside the England Hotel disrupting sleep. England have looked pretty disjointed this world cup and, whilst winning, haven't really impressed in any meaningful manner.

[cmg]

Quito, capital of Ecuador, is at 9350 ft so dropping down to the Azteca must have been a breeze for them. Didn't do them much good though.

[Chi_FFC]

Quito, capital of Ecuador, is at 9350 ft so dropping down to the Azteca must have been a breeze for them. Didn't do them much good though.

1) Only two of Ecuador's players play in their domestic league. 2) Ecuador had been training for about a month at their base camp in Columbus, OH (elevation ~800 feet).

[Whitestone]

I have a feeling, given how we're playing so far, that we will struggle to win vs Mexico. Not only in Mexico, at altitude, at their home stadium, but fans likely making noise outside the England Hotel disrupting sleep. England have looked pretty disjointed this world cup and, whilst winning, haven't really impressed in any meaningful manner.

Mexico away is a tough fixture for all the reasons discussed. However, IMO the only team that's played with any panache at this World Cup is France and they are the only team I would be concerned about if England come up against them. In reality we probably have a better squad than Mexico, we have match winners, so that will hopefully swing some balance our way. I think we'll win.

[Woolly Mammoth]

I have been to Shooters Hill, Parliament Hill. Tower Hill, Herne Hill. Richmond Hill and Lavender Hill.
I can reassure you it is no sweat.

[perry geyton]

They've played every game at the same ground, zero traveling and they are climatized to the high elevation, that's why they like to play there,  smells like BS to me

 Once and if we get past Congo and only then I will start contemplating  it,

Why is playing all their games at their national stadium BS? They are a host. I suspect England would get all their games at Wembley if/when England are WC hosts.

Cos Wembley is not at the top of a mountain it is an even playing field unlike the Aztecca, it's biased

If they go anywhere in this tournament "if England doesn't beat them" the minute they come down off of that mountain they will get done
I guarentee it

[Eton White]

They've played every game at the same ground, zero traveling and they are climatized to the high elevation, that's why they like to play there,  smells like BS to me

 Once and if we get past Congo and only then I will start contemplating  it,

Why is playing all their games at their national stadium BS? They are a host. I suspect England would get all their games at Wembley if/when England are WC hosts.

Cos Wembley is not at the top of a mountain it is an even playing field unlike the Aztecca, it's biased

If they go anywhere in this tournament "if England doesn't beat them" the minute they come down off of that mountain they will get done
I guarentee it

I wouldn't be so sure of that.

They've been training at altitude. They'll be like super athletes when they play at sea level. Blood full of oxygen and able to run for 120 minutes without breaking a sweat.

[perry geyton]

They've played every game at the same ground, zero traveling and they are climatized to the high elevation, that's why they like to play there,  smells like BS to me

 Once and if we get past Congo and only then I will start contemplating  it,

Why is playing all their games at their national stadium BS? They are a host. I suspect England would get all their games at Wembley if/when England are WC hosts.

Cos Wembley is not at the top of a mountain it is an even playing field unlike the Aztecca, it's biased

If they go anywhere in this tournament "if England doesn't beat them" the minute they come down off of that mountain they will get done
I guarentee it

I wouldn't be so sure of that.

They've been training at altitude. They'll be like super athletes when they play at sea level. Blood full of oxygen and able to run for 120 minutes without breaking a sweat.

Yeah but they won't be playing teams that are crippled

They really are not that good of a team

[RaySmith]

Apparently you lose 10 percent of oxygen at that altitude. I read a lot of books about alpine mountain  climbing, and you lose 70 pecent of oxygen on Everest.
But 10 % is definitely significant.

I'm surprised that England haven't done more  to acclimatize themselves, though they use  hypobaric chambers apparently