During the afternoon of this July 1, the England coach, Thomas Tuchelstated that his players can face difficulties for the 2 thousand 240 meters altitude in Mexicowhere they will face the tri in the round of 16 of the World Cup and in whose stadium, 40 years ago, Diego Maradona left the Three Lions in the gutter with two goals.
However, the 52-year-old German coach made no mention of that World Cup quarter-final match. Mexico 1986 when asked, at a press conference, about the stadium in the Mexican capital and he assured that he still has his mind set on the hard-fought victory over Democratic Republic of the Congoin atlanta, Georgia.
“I haven’t thought about it yet. I just got out of this and I’m trying to enjoy itbut it is perhaps one of the most beautiful and exciting that can be played,” he explained, without mentioning that match 40 years ago, which consolidated Maradona’s reputation as one of the best footballers of the world and a legend of sport.
At that stage, the Fluff eliminated an English team led by Glenn Hoddle and Gary Lineker thanks, first, to the famous Hand of God and, later, the one considered as the better goal in the history of the World Cup, in which he traveled 60 meters in about 10 seconds while leaving six Englishmen behind, including goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
The Broken Curse of 1966
“Many obstacles await us. Not to mention the altitude, which of course will be an great disadvantage, since it is impossible to physically adapt to it in just four days. And surely more will emerge obstaclesbut we are prepared for it,” added Tuchel regarding the meeting of the Sunday, July 5 in Mexico City.
However, Tuchel did speak of another curse broken, since, since the final that England won in 1966, they had not won, until July 1, a World Cup qualifier if they had scored first. “It is a good sign,” said the German, who considered that the comeback “shows the level of determination and concentration” of the three lions.
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Thomas Tuchel considered that his team was the better on the field in Atlanta, Georgia, against the Democratic Republic of the Congo and praised their ability to not accept defeat and their insistence in front of the Congolese goal, where the goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi He had a stellar performance that kept England scoreless until the 75th minute.
“If a few more minutes had passed without us achieving the tie, we would undoubtedly have given rise to a second forward. Of course, there is the idea of using Ollie Watkins or Ivan Toney, but the plan is not to play without Harry Kane,” he explained after being asked about the team’s dependence on its captain, who scored the two so many.
The stadium where Maradona buried England in 1986
On June 22, 1986, Argentina and England faced off in the Aztec Stadiumfrom Mexico City, for the quarterfinals of the World Cup, four years after the war of the Falklandsfought between both countries, so this match is part of a football rivalry that began 20 years earlier, in 1966.
During the match, Diego Maradona scored two extraordinary goals: the first, 51 minutes into the match, was scored with the left handwhile the second was scored four minutes later, after starting from the middle of the Argentine field and dribble to the English players in the Colossus of Santa Ursula.
Maradona’s scores were called the Hand of God and the Goal of the Centuryso this match consolidated the Argentine’s reputation as one of the best footballers in the world and a legend of sport. This added an emotional burden and symbolic to the meeting, since in Argentina the victory was celebrated massively.