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MEXICO CITY (AP) — The World Cup round of 16 match between Mexico and England on Sunday could be moved to an earlier kickoff due to concerns about an afternoon thunderstorm forecast in Mexico City.
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FIFA is looking at the possibility of starting the game earlier than the scheduled 6:00 p.m. at the Azteca Stadium, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because no final decision has been made.
Among the concerns for FIFA is the possible disruption caused by flooding.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre spoke out against changing the kickoff time.
“It’s a kick in the gut; now we must change everything. It’s not that all the work goes down the drain—though it’s close—because you’re having to scrap six hours of scheduled planning. I don’t like it at all,” Aguirre told Radio Formula. “Obviously, we’ll abide by what FIFA says, but neither my players nor I are happy about it.”
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Rescheduling the match could also affect England’s preparations. The Three Lions are scheduled to arrive late Friday and will hold their Saturday training session at the UNAM Pumas grounds in the south of the capital, leaving them with significantly less time to acclimatize to the Mexican capital’s high elevation before kick-off.
The Azteca Stadium sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level. For elite athletes to perform at their peak at high altitude, a period of adaption is required to reduce fatigue caused by lower atmospheric pressure and reduced oxygen availability, experts say. Sports scientists generally recommend an extended acclimation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method of arriving as close to game time as possible before acute symptoms set in.
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The game will be Mexico City’s fifth and final match of the World Cup.
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