10-man England hang on to beat Mexico in World Cup thriller
SALUTE: England hero Jude Bellingham leads the post match celebrations after their 3-2 Round of 16 victory over Mexico. Pic: Francois Nel/Getty Images
England overcame hostility, altitude and Jarell Quansah’s red card as Thomas Tuchel’s side edged a 3-2 blockbuster against World Cup co-hosts Mexico to set-up a quarter-final clash with Norway.
The back-to-back European Championship finalists faced all manner of obstacles heading into Sunday’s last-16 tie at the majestic Estadio Azteca, where kick-off was delayed by an hour due to a storm.
England advanced thanks to two Jude Bellingham goals in 98 first-half seconds and a nerveless Harry Kane penalty but that barely tells the tale of a night of passion and extraordinary drama that unfolded in front of a feverish home crowd.
England played most of the second half was 10 men after Quansah was sent off but reacted well, the impressive Anthony Gordon winning a penalty which Kane scored to give them a 3-1 lead, and hung on with relatively few alarms after Kane gave away a spot-kick converted by Raúl Jiménez.
England’s defensive resolve in the final 20 minutes of normal time and the 11 of added time was outstanding and this will go down as one of their finest World Cup displays given the altitude, the excitable home crowd and playing for so long a man down.
Mexico lacked the craft to find the way past a backline that ended up featuring the substitutes Dan Burn, Djed Spence and John Stones, who made an important intervention deep into stoppage time. Thomas Tuchel’s management of the match was impeccable. Jordan Pickford, when needed, was alert.
Bellingham had struck twice from close range, first with his head then with his right foot, but after a quick response from Mexico courtesy of Julián Quiñones, England were hanging on at times before half-time and their task after the interval appeared even more difficult when Quansah was shown a red card.
The right-back’s tackle on Jesús Gallardo was not on first viewing deemed worthy of a sending-off by Alireza Faghani but the referee changed his mind after being advised to review it by the video assistant referee. Quansah got something on the ball when challenging Gallardo but the studs of his right boot made clear contact with his opponent’s left shin.
VAR was also used to determine Mexico’s penalty, given for Kane kicking up into Brian Gutiérrez’s right leg. Jiménez, twice earlier superbly denied by Pickford, provided as cool a finish from the spot as Kane had done shortly earlier. Kane’s penalty came after Gordon sprung on to a loose long ball and was fouled by the goalkeeper, Raúl Rangel.
It might have been more comfortable for England early in the second half had a Nico O’Reilly shot that deflected off Bellingham gone in rather than hitting a post. That close shave for Mexico was in keeping with what, fittingly, was a breathless match played out at more than 2,000m.
The start had been calmer after kick-off was delayed by an hour owing to thunderstorms, though after a comfortable quarter of an hour for England it required a sharp low save from Pickford to prevent the troublesome Jiménez from scoring with a diving header.
England rarely posed a serious threat before the first hydration break, though Gordon was troubling Mexico with his pass and direct running down England’s left. That was underlined when the Barcelona winger ran on to a long pass and forced Rangel into his first save. Gordon and Saka were two of the three changes, the other being the return of Quansah.
The willingness of Saka, Gordon and Jude Bellingham to track back gave England a solid-looking base in the first 40 minutes as Mexico dominated first-half possession without showing much cutting edge before England took the lead.
Bellingham’s first goal started with Pickford throwing the ball to Declan Rice, who drove forward about half the length of the pitch before filtering a pass to Saka on the right wing. Saka’s right-foot cross was perfect for Bellingham to score with a stooping header after great movement from England’s No 10.
One was soon two, Elliot Anderson winning the ball in midfield and Gordon also involved before Kane’s cross was swept in – again just inside the six-yard box – by Bellingham.
Jude Bellingham heads England into the lead against Mexico.
But if England thought that was job done they were sorely mistaken. The free-kick from which Mexico scored soon after was soft but also poorly defended. Ezri Konsa could only flick the ball away and it fell to Quiñones who, left free by Bellingham, produced an unerring finish on the volley.
Mexico might well have equalised before half-time as England rocked. Quiñones set the ball back to Jiménez, who arrowed his shot wide from a good position, and that pair continued to provide problems.
Jiménez had a header spectacularly saved by Pickford, then provided the knock-down from which Montes might have scored after another set play, Bellingham’s intervention being vital.
The second half brought almost unceasing incident but Thomas Tuchel’s changes enabled England to survive all Mexico could throw at them. Next, in Miami, they face the challenge of keeping out Erling Haaland.
England started well 2,200 metres above sea level when the last-16 tie eventually got under way, Jude Bellingham’s quickfire brace silencing supporters whose hopes would be revived by Julian Quinones before the break.
Mexican belief grew further when right-back Quansah was sent off for a clumsy challenge early in the second half, only for Tuchel’s team to immediately respond through skipper Harry Kane’s spot-kick.
Raul Jimenez added a penalty of his own to increase English nerves, yet the visitors showed defensive nous and togetherness to win on a wild night in Mexico City.
A date with Norway in Miami is the reward as England kept their quest for World Cup glory alive and helped avenge Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ on their return to the Azteca after 40 years.
Guardian
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