Not sure about that. Maybe if it wasn't in Miami.
Hopefully they do though, would be good if they got through.
World cup fred
- Thread starter Libby
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Not sure about that. Maybe if it wasn't in Miami.
Hopefully they do though, would be good if they got through.
Good news if we win the group which we surely will now is that there's only one potential game starting later than 10pm which is the last 16 at 1am.
We've also got potentially a decent run to semis like recent tournaments.
R32 - 3rd placed team
R16 - Mexico
QF - Brazil/Morocco
Okay that QF isn't exactly easy but we'd still be favourites for either.
I think we'll lose to Mexico though.
We've also got potentially a decent run to semis like recent tournaments.
R32 - 3rd placed team
R16 - Mexico
QF - Brazil/Morocco
Okay that QF isn't exactly easy but we'd still be favourites for either.
I think we'll lose to Mexico though.
We won't lose to Mexico. They're crap even with home advantage. Wouldn't be surprised if they lost to both South Korea and Czech Republic and got knocked out in the group stage.
Haven't they lost 2 competitive fixtures at home in over 80 games or something?
That's true but most of their opponents were teams like Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica etc. The altitude would be our main concern but we'd prepare ourselves for it.
How often do they play any decent sides at home in competitive matches though? You have to go all the way back to the 1986 World Cup.
I'm going to watch every game now - they will be crackers!
Gotta say the atmosphere didn't seem all that intimidating in Mexico's first game either. FIFA have priced out the normal match-going Mexicans, and therefore it's the more privileged, 'tourist' type of fans filling the stadium. Tickets for Mexico's games are even more expensive than the tickets being sold in the US and Canada. Mexico vs South Korea has the most expensive tickets of the entire group stage.
Saw a report saying that the Democratic House Leader has arranged with Marco Rubio for the Cape Verde goal keeper’s mum to be granted a visa and be allowed to travel in time for her to see Vozinha’s next game.
Best result of the tournament so far.
Best result of the tournament so far.
England playing the hosts in Mexico?
Watch Harry Kane get wrongly knicked for stealing some jewellery, Jordan Pickford get food poisoning and the whole squad kept up all night by locals making a racket outside of their hotel.
Watch Harry Kane get wrongly knicked for stealing some jewellery, Jordan Pickford get food poisoning and the whole squad kept up all night by locals making a racket outside of their hotel.
Think that’s been true of every game, from what I’ve seen when the cameras zoom in on the crowd. Lots of soccer moms and their offspring smiling happily, seemingly oblivious to the fact their team is getting beat. Certainly seemed like most of the sea of red shirts in the Portugal vs Congo game were Americans supporting Portugal because they like Ronaldo.
Wow. Surprised by that given it's the poorest nation of the 3.
Definitely feel like that could cost them though you'd think the type of fan would be less important for a KO game.
HIGNFY
"After ITV World Cup analyst Emma Hayes gets her own personalised set, A BBC pundit gets something similar."
"After ITV World Cup analyst Emma Hayes gets her own personalised set, A BBC pundit gets something similar."
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Yeah maybe, but it is still a helluva record and not to be taken lightly.
Not that I saw. They don't play those teams in WC qualifying - they belong to a different confederation (Central and North America).
To understand the quality of the opposition Mexico beats during these runs, it helps to separate their games into two distinct categories: regional CONCACAF opponents (the majority of their home matches) and elite global opponents (whom they typically face when hosting major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup). [1]
Because Mexico plays in CONCACAF, the overwhelming majority of their competitive home wins are against regional neighbours. However, when elite global powerhouses travel to the high altitude of the Estadio Azteca, Mexico’s home advantage has allowed them to defeat some of the biggest names in world football.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
1. Elite Global Powerhouses
When hosting the World Cup (1970 and 1986) or the FIFA Confederations Cup (1999), Mexico secured competitive home wins against top-tier European and South American giants:
Brazil: Defeated 4–3 in a thrilling 1999 Confederations Cup Final at the Azteca.
Belgium: Beaten 1–0 in the 1970 World Cup group stage and 2–1 in the 1986 World Cup group stage.
Italy: While often a draw, Mexico famously drew 1–1 in competitive tournament settings, though Italyknocked them out in 1970 on Mexican soil.
West Germany: Played to a fierce 0–0 draw in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals (Mexico only lost out on penalties).
Bulgaria: Defeated 2–0 in the Round of 16 during the 1986 World Cup. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
2. Upper-Tier Regional Rivals
Within their own confederation, there are a few teams that regularly make the World Cup and present a genuine challenge. Mexico has routinely beaten them at home:
Costa Rica: Historically the first team to ever beat Mexico in a home qualifier (the famous Aztecazo in 2001). Outside of that anomaly, Mexico regularly beats them in Mexico City. [1, 2, 3]
Honduras: A notoriously physical rival. While they pulled off a shock win at the Azteca in 2013, Mexico has dominated them at home in almost every other cycle. [1, 2, 3]
Canada: Long considered a weaker side, Canada has evolved into a top regional team, yet they still historically struggle to take points when visiting Mexico. [1, 2]
United States: Mexico's fiercest rival. While the US has beaten Mexico on neutral US soil, they have neverbeaten Mexico in a competitive match inside the country of Mexico. [1, 2, 3, 4]
3. The Lower-Tier Regional Teams
The remainder of the "80-game block" is filled out by smaller nations. While these teams are easily dispatched by Mexico at home, they inflate the unbeaten statistics:
Summary of Quality
If you are looking at their 80-game home dominance, about 15% of the games are against elite global teams (in tournaments), 35% are against tough, competitive regional sides (USA, Costa Rica, Honduras), and 50%are against much lower-ranked nations where a Mexico victory is heavily expected.
Because Mexico plays in CONCACAF, the overwhelming majority of their competitive home wins are against regional neighbours. However, when elite global powerhouses travel to the high altitude of the Estadio Azteca, Mexico’s home advantage has allowed them to defeat some of the biggest names in world football.[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
1. Elite Global Powerhouses
When hosting the World Cup (1970 and 1986) or the FIFA Confederations Cup (1999), Mexico secured competitive home wins against top-tier European and South American giants:
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Brazil: Defeated 4–3 in a thrilling 1999 Confederations Cup Final at the Azteca.
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Belgium: Beaten 1–0 in the 1970 World Cup group stage and 2–1 in the 1986 World Cup group stage.
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Italy: While often a draw, Mexico famously drew 1–1 in competitive tournament settings, though Italyknocked them out in 1970 on Mexican soil.
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West Germany: Played to a fierce 0–0 draw in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals (Mexico only lost out on penalties).
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Bulgaria: Defeated 2–0 in the Round of 16 during the 1986 World Cup. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
2. Upper-Tier Regional Rivals
Within their own confederation, there are a few teams that regularly make the World Cup and present a genuine challenge. Mexico has routinely beaten them at home:
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Costa Rica: Historically the first team to ever beat Mexico in a home qualifier (the famous Aztecazo in 2001). Outside of that anomaly, Mexico regularly beats them in Mexico City. [1, 2, 3]
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Honduras: A notoriously physical rival. While they pulled off a shock win at the Azteca in 2013, Mexico has dominated them at home in almost every other cycle. [1, 2, 3]
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Canada: Long considered a weaker side, Canada has evolved into a top regional team, yet they still historically struggle to take points when visiting Mexico. [1, 2]
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United States: Mexico's fiercest rival. While the US has beaten Mexico on neutral US soil, they have neverbeaten Mexico in a competitive match inside the country of Mexico. [1, 2, 3, 4]
3. The Lower-Tier Regional Teams
The remainder of the "80-game block" is filled out by smaller nations. While these teams are easily dispatched by Mexico at home, they inflate the unbeaten statistics:
- Central American sides: Teams like El Salvador, Jamaica, and Panama find the combination of the Azteca's 2,240-metre altitude and oppressive smog nearly impossible to overcome. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
- Caribbean island nations: Teams like Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, and Cuba generally suffer heavy, multi-goal defeats when visiting Mexico City. [1, 2]
Summary of Quality
If you are looking at their 80-game home dominance, about 15% of the games are against elite global teams (in tournaments), 35% are against tough, competitive regional sides (USA, Costa Rica, Honduras), and 50%are against much lower-ranked nations where a Mexico victory is heavily expected.
So basically the last time they played top-level teams at home, competitively, was in the 80s, right?
I'm not disagreeing that it could be a very tough game (should it happen), but I also won't be in the slightest bit surprised if Mexico get beaten by South Korea tomorrow night.