{"id":4986,"date":"2026-07-04T18:36:42","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:36:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4986"},"modified":"2026-07-04T18:36:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T18:36:42","slug":"england-faces-mexico-at-monster-stadium-where-el-tri-has-yet-to-concede-a-goal-at-this-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4986","title":{"rendered":"England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World Cup quarterfinals. On Sunday, their best chance in a generation arrives. Playing on home soil in a venue that has become an almost impregnable fortress, El Tri will face England in the round of 16\u2014in what is arguably the most important match in Mexican football history.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4984\">72-year-old man found dead after  Cumberland County disappearance during heat advisory Friday<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mexico boasts a legendary record in official matches at the Estadio Azteca. Since the historic venue opened in 1966, the national team has suffered just two defeats in official matches there, with the last one coming over a decade ago against Honduras in September 2013.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe stadium is a monster; that explains the high number of wins and draws, and the few losses\u2014which were just accidents,\u201d said Hugo S\u00e1nchez, the legendary striker who played in the 1986 World Cup and now serves as an ESPN analyst. \u201cWe approach this with optimism because we know it\u2019s England, but if we play the way we did against Ecuador, we can beat them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The numbers back up the myth. Across the 1970, 1986, and current World Cups hosted on home soil, Mexico has played 10 matches at the Azteca, winning eight and drawing two. In this tournament alone, El Tri has secured three home wins without conceding a single goal: 2-0 against South Africa and 3-0 against Czech Republic in the group stage, and 2-0 against Ecuador in the round of 32. Mexico also defeated South Korea 1-0 in Guadalajara in the group stage.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the first time Mexico starts a World Cup by winning four consecutive matches.<\/p>\n<h3>Breaking the Curse<\/h3>\n<p>These results have ignited the hopes of millions of Mexicans, many of whom weren\u2019t even born the last time the nation reached the quarterfinals. After achieving that feat in 1986, Mexico\u2019s World Cup history became a psychological hurdle: they missed the 1990 tournament, followed by seven consecutive, agonizing round of 16 exits before failing to escape the group stage in Qatar 2022.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m one of those who couldn\u2019t make it through; it happened to me in South Africa and Korea,\u201d says Javier Aguirre, who managed El Tri during those campaigns. \u201cIt\u2019s deeply painful because you play a great group stage, only to be knocked out for a variety of reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mexico\u2019s eliminations comprise a catalog of heartbreaks including a penalty shootout loss to Bulgaria in 1994 when Aguirre was an assistant coach to Miguel Mej\u00eda Bar\u00f3n and defeats in 1998 and 2014 to Germany and the Netherlands where Mexico squandered late leads in the final minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4981\">How did 16 hidden Ohio kids go undetected for years? Experts weigh in<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now, the script could flip. At the Estadio Azteca\u2014towering 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level\u2014Mexico will rely heavily on the altitude and the backing of a ferocious home crowd, just as they did in the group stage.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEngland is one of the great national teams in the history of football, with outstanding players. We all agreed that we wanted a match like this,\u201d midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo said on Saturday. \u201cWe are in great form, the Azteca is an intimidating venue, and ultimately, it\u2019s a World Cup round of 16 match. That\u2019s never easy for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>The English challenge<\/h3>\n<p>England enters the knockout stage fresh off a 2-1 victory over Congo, powered by a brace from talismanic striker Harry Kane. Kane headlines an elite English squad that reached the quarterfinals at the last World Cup before falling to eventual finalists France.<\/p>\n<p>A victory for the Three Lions would send them to the quarterfinals for the sixth time in their history\u2014and the third consecutive time\u2014keeping alive the dream of a title that has eluded them since 1966. On paper, England holds the clear advantage in raw talent, led by Premier League stars, whereas Mexico\u2019s current spearhead is Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones, the top scorer in the Saudi League.<\/p>\n<p>However, the brutal playing conditions could serve as the ultimate equalizer.<\/p>\n<p>England arrived in the northern part of Mexico City on Friday night, a mere two days before kickoff. Sports scientists and altitude experts generally recommend two options for high-altitude competition. Arrive weeks in advance for full acclimatization or fly in as close as possible to kickoff. By choosing a 48-hour window, England has entered the exact dead zone experts warn against.<\/p>\n<p>To compound the strain, passionate Mexican fans are already plotting psychological warfare. Hundreds are expected to converge on England\u2019s hotel to disrupt their sleep\u2014a tactic deployed against Ecuador using loudspeakers, drums, and revving motorcycles into the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n<p>The English camp is attempting to remain unfazed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m sure we\u2019ll have that all in order and try and get the best night\u2019s sleep possible,\u201d England striker Morgan Rogers said. \u201cOf course they\u2019re going to make it difficult, you wouldn\u2019t expect anything different. But the fans are so passionate. That should be exciting for us, really. We\u2019re looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=4974\">NC Senate approves bill that could send state\u2019s billion-dollar hemp industry up in smoke<\/a><\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>AP Soccer Writer James Robson in Atlanta contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>\n                See more of AP\u2019s World Cup coverage here\n              <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 Mexico has spent 40 years chasing a return to the World&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>England faces Mexico at \u2018monster\u2019 stadium where El Tri has yet to concede a goal at this World Cup - 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