England's remarkable World Cup win over Mexico began an hour late as lightning and heavy rain lashed the Azteca Stadium — but the delay only set the stage for Thomas Tuchel's 10-man side to pull off a tactical masterclass.
Between the hostile crowd, the altitude of Mexico City and the intensity of the home side, England had to manage the game in phases so distinct that assistant coach Anthony Barry later described it as five smaller games. At half‑time, Barry revealed the plan: "We prepared the players that up until the first water break it would be a difficult game. We would have to suffer. Mexico always start fast. We knew 0‑0 would be a good result."
“Thomas Tuchel's 10-man England beat Mexico in a lightning-delayed World Cup thriller, using five tactical phases to reach the quarter-finals.”
England muted some of Mexico's momentum early on, defending more deliberately than in previous matches. Tuchel, who had called for a smarter press, said before kick‑off: "We are fully committed to our press. But it's not economical. We need to be smart and pick the right moments."
When Mexico built from deep, England used Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and an extra player — one more than they had used against DR Congo in the last 32 — to cut off their options. The improved press stalled Mexico, but the hosts found ways to escape through clever dropping‑deep movements. England midfielder Elliot Anderson held his position deeper, close to his centre‑backs, to prevent the easy out‑ball — a detail that became crucial later.
When Mexico established possession higher up the pitch, England dropped into a mid‑block, willing to defend space rather than win the ball back immediately. England had taken an average of 12.1 seconds to recover the ball in their first four World Cup games; in the first half against Mexico, that figure soared to 37 seconds.
Tuchel, known as a master of knockout football, proved his tactical acumen as England reached the quarter‑finals. The win was all the more remarkable given they played with ten men — a detail that only added to the drama of a night when thunder and lightning delayed kick‑off, yet could not stop England's phased victory.