World Cup 2026: How England beat Mexico in five mini

England faced enormous challenges against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca and, indeed, the match was anything but easy. With the pressure from the fans, the altitude of Mexico City and the intensity of the Mexican players, the English team had to manage the game in several phases, so distinct that it seemed as if they were playing five smaller matches. Coach Thomas Tuchel proved once again why he is known for his tactical astuteness and mastery of knockout football, leading England to the Round of 16 of the World Cup. **Game 1: Hold Mexico** England's phased approach was confirmed by assistant manager Anthony Barry at half-time. "We prepared the players that even the first hydration period would be a difficult game," he said. "We would have to suffer. Mexico always starts quickly. We knew 0-0 would be a good result [at half-time]." England managed to neutralize part of Mexico's momentum early on. The visitors were much more cautious defensively than in previous games. Before the match, Tuchel, who instilled intense pressure on his team, urged them to be more deliberate in doing so. "We are fully committed to our pressure," he said. "But it's not economical. We need to be smart and choose the right moments." England chose their moments, although not without flaws, and looked better than they did against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the previous stage. **Game 2: Blow and counter-blow** Moments defined England's strong finish to the first half. With Mexico betting on rotations, young Gilberto Mora positioned himself on the left side of the attack, despite normally defending further to the right. When goalkeeper Pickford collected the ball, Mora returned to his natural position, failing to close the space. Pickford quickly found Declan Rice, who advanced with the ball and found Bukayo Saka, who crossed for Jude Bellingham, who headed home. The restart of the game for Mexico could not have been worse. England pressed intensely from the restart. Anderson, who had been hesitant to press earlier in the match, tracked his attackers to fill the space behind them, winning the ball back and allowing England to score their second goal through Bellingham.  **Game 3: Dominating the game** England started the second half on the attack, pressing higher. Anthony Gordon did this from time to time before the break, but in the second half he and Saka took it in turns to be the third attacker in the high press. This was bold but risky, and the game became more open. After a good run that ultimately resulted in nothing, Bellingham chased goalkeeper Raul Rangel. This was probably not one of the "intelligent moments" mentioned by Tuchel. England were essentially defending with 10 men while Bellingham was in front of the ball. With Mexican left-winger Julian Quinones coming inside and dragging right-back Jarell Quansah out of position, Saka still ahead and the ball returning to England's side, led to a late slide on Jesus Gallardo, resulting in a red card for Quansah. **Game 4: Overload on the sides** England played two mini matches afterbeen reduced to 10 men. First, John Stones came on for Saka, with Ezri Konsa moving to right back. England played in a 4-4-1 or 4-3-1-1 formation. They followed a common Tuchel principle: draw pressure back before playing long to the attackers. Gordon was the speedy forward point and managed to ease the pressure, earning a penalty in the process. However, Mexico continued to look dangerous on the left side, with Quinones being influential, dragging the English players and giving left-back Gallardo time and space to deliver dangerous crosses. **Game 5: Defending with all your might** Tuchel has used hydration breaks to his advantage in this tournament — and did so again in the second half. Dan Burn and Djed Spence came on for Anderson and Nico O'Reilly respectively as England switched to a 5-3-1 formation. Bellingham, Rice and Gordon formed the trio in midfield, probably due to their ability to cover distance quickly. Stones and Spence made sharp interventions in the closing stages, while the 6-foot-2 Burn was a crucial presence at the back as Mexico launched crosses from the left. With England defending deeper and deeper, space for Mexico appeared in front of the English defense, but Aguirre replaced Quinones with striker Guillermo Martinez. The change played to England's advantage, who were well equipped to deal with Mexico's excessive crossing tactics. The hosts lacked the variety in attack that challenged England earlier in the match. Each attack was directed down the flanks before a hopeful cross was sent in and cleared away, in a true exercise in corner defending. Success in the tournament requires adaptability to deal with the unknown. With 10 players against Mexico, at their home ground, the English team showed the value of their criticized team. --- ## Related Articles 1. [Elliot Anderson Honors Late Mother After England's World Cup Triumph](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/elliot-anderson-honors-late-mother-after-england-s-world-cup-triumph) 2. [World Cup 2026: Kontrobersiya sa kaso ni Balogun hinahamon ang](https://azkalsgoal.com/fil/news/world-cup-2026-kontrobersiya-sa-kaso-ni-balogun-hinahamon-ang)

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