When the bracket was released for the newly expanded World Cup knockout stage, the possibility of a Mexico vs. England showdown immediately jumped off the page.
Now, the two teams will indeed square off on Sunday in Mexico City, and there will be plenty on the line in addition to a chance to advance into the quarterfinals of this year’s tournament.
Here’s why Sunday’s game will be so historic.
Estadio Azteca takes center stage again
The setting for the titanic clash will be Estadio Azteca, which has hosted plenty of major events in its history. It serves as the home base for the Mexican national team, and at more than 7,000 feet above sea level, it is a fearsome environment for any team to have to play in, much less a team like England that is trying to win its first World Cup title in 60 years.
The stadium has hosted two World Cup finals, with Pele and Brazil capturing the title in 1970 and Diego Maradona helping Argentina to win a title in 1986.
Mexico has been notoriously hard to beat in the stadium, and England has had mixed results in the stadium overall. The last time England played a World Cup game at Azteca in 1986, they were defeated by the eventual champion Argentina in the quarterfinals. England also played in the Round-of-16 at Azteca in 1986, defeating Paraguay.
Mexico hopes to keep making history
Mexico has already set one national record in this year’s World Cup, with four victories in their first four games to give themselves their most wins in a single World Cup.
Now, Mexico will look to make its next step in the history books. The team has only made the quarterfinals in two previous World Cups, and coincidentally both were played on their home soil, reaching the Round-of-8 in the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.
Needless to say, Mexico has had plenty of success at the stadium so far in this World Cup, including in their 2-0 win over Ecuador in the first game of the knockout stage earlier this week. Their tournament overall has been a successful one, as they’ve outscored opponents 8-0 and have captured four consecutive victories on home soil.
Unfortunately for Mexico, they’ve lost the last seven times they’ve reached the Round-of-16, doing so in seven consecutive World Cups between 1994 and 2018.
England faces a tough challenge at Azteca
England’s history at Azteca is, to put it charitably, mixed and one of the biggest controversies in soccer history helped knock them out of the 1986 tournament at the stadium.
Known as the “Hand of God” goal, England had to watch as a ball bounced off of Maradona’s hand during a 1986 quarterfinal match at the stadium, and the goal was allowed to stand after officials missed the handball violation. England would end up losing that game 2-1.
In addition to that bit of history, England is facing a Mexican squad that is notoriously hard to beat at Azteca. Mexico has never lost a World Cup game at the stadium, with seven wins and three draws in 10 contests. They also are just hard to beat there overall, with 70 wins and 17 draws in 89 all-time matches.
Still, there is one bit of history working in England’s favor. The two teams have only played each other in the World Cup once, and England ended up prevailing 2-0, defeating Mexico at Wembley Stadium during the 1966 World Cup that the English squad ended up winning.
England and Mexico will square off Sunday night at 7 p.m., with the game airing on Telemundo in Spanish and in English on Fox. The winner of the game will advance to the quarterfinal round, with that game set to be played in Miami.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/QridY8P
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