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World Cup 2026

Higgy said:
Barry seems very switched on and a good analyser.
The altitude could indeed be problematic. No time to acclimatise. Maybe some unorthodox substitute timings and strategy would help. Maybe one or two before the usual 60 mins.
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Perhaps the NZ warm-up was not as daft as it felt where 22 players had 45 minutes each.
 
If the game was being played anywhere else I would go for England but being played in Mexico City, with all the travelling and no time to acclimatise to the altitude, I think will be to much for England to overcome, I can only see an end to this World Cup adventure.
 
I really feel for the lads given the venue, the altitude and the heat. Things heavily favour Mexico, but ironically it takes a lot of pressure off as I don't think we are clear favourites as we have been in every game so far.

It's a balance between the usual high press and conservation of energy, as the air is thinner. Maybe they need to sit back more and defend well, making quick breaks as and when possible. They will need to make good use of their five substitutions. I can't see the wingers lasting 90, so that's two. I'd sub two more, depending on how it's going. You can't plan for who gets injured, cramp or a yellow card. If it goes into extra time, they get an extra sub, so could make another two at the end of normal time. One idea is to move Rice to right-back in the second-half hydration break when the right-back is tired and bring on another defensive midfielder.

Tuchel also needs to plan for penalties. Dare he take a knackered Kane off? Should he not start with Gordon so he can finish and take a penalty if needed? Rice is another reliable penalty taker. Etc, etc.

But if they show the same determination, team spirit and "never say die" attitude as they did yesterday, anything is possible with this England team.
 
Austria have failed to have a shot in the first 25 minutes of a World Cup match for the first time on record.

Been avoiding all this but currently in Vienna, saw this in the been, we can do that for a week or so surely?
 
Thinking again about England, the real problem is even if they win they need to recover in time for the next match. To win in Mexico City would be one of their greatest wins, but beating say Brazil just a few days after such an exhausting match would be almost as impressive.
 
Boz said:
Tuchel made some very strange selections with the squad. I don't get his beef with Alexander-Arnold, we definitely needed a proper right-back when Livramento was ruled out; selecting him and the injury-prone James was risky to begin with. Agree about Maguire, taking none of Gibbs-White, Palmer and Foden, yet giving Henderson a place felt odd. He reminds me of Capello at present and it's hard to feel confident of much further progress.
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Thanks BBTC. I think Henderson is there as an off field leader. Keep the boys on the straight and narrow. I doubt if he is there as a serious choice for selection. It does block off a spot for another potential choice of course.
 
drwhoman said:
Thanks BBTC. I think Henderson is there as an off field leader. Keep the boys on the straight and narrow. I doubt if he is there as a serious choice for selection. It does block off a spot for another potential choice of course.
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Sorry Boz. Too many 4am games!
 
bigmart said:
The England v Mexico game could be moved to 7pm on Sunday due to forecast of storms
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ADD said:
FIFA U turn confirmed. As it was.
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The latest example of FIFA’s cavalier attitude towards fans. Virtually every aspect of the staging of this competition smacks of money first, fans last.

I hope none of the fans with tickets panicked and spent a fortune altering their travel arrangements to get to the ground at the earlier time. Good luck to them with any compensation claims.
 
bring back the cowshed! said:
The latest example of FIFA’s cavalier attitude towards fans. Virtually every aspect of the staging of this competition smacks of money first, fans last.

I hope none of the fans with tickets panicked and spent a fortune altering their travel arrangements to get to the ground at the earlier time. Good luck to them with any compensation claims.
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Sadly that is what you get when you mix the Trump administration with FIFA, officials. You could expect nothing else.
 
bring back the cowshed! said:
Thinking again about England, the real problem is even if they win they need to recover in time for the next match. To win in Mexico City would be one of their greatest wins, but beating say Brazil just a few days after such an exhausting match would be almost as impressive.
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The altitude is something of a factor, it doesn't make things any easier, nor does the home crowd, but Mexico do not have such a good record as the much spouted stats make out, against higher ranked teams they don't tend to do so well, they've won 8 out of 20 games against top 10 opposition, most recently drawing 0-0 to an understrength Portugal in a friendly. In other words, this is a game that England should be expected to win, but I don't think anyone would be surprised if we didn't.
 
bring back the cowshed! said:
I hope none of the fans with tickets panicked and spent a fortune altering their travel arrangements to get to the ground at the earlier time. Good luck to them with any compensation claims.
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No chance, because the kick off time was never changed. It was just some over-eager journalists jumping the gun about a possibility that FIFA discussed with the respective FIFA member bodies but one which never materialised.

Alun said:
Sadly that is what you get when you mix the Trump administration with FIFA, officials.
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In Mexico? Mind you, it’s a wonder nobody’s blamed Palios yet! :whistling:;)
 
O4anotherplayoff said:
No chance, because the kick off time was never changed. It was just some over-eager journalists jumping the gun about a possibility that FIFA discussed with the respective FIFA member bodies but one which never materialised.


In Mexico? Mind you, it’s a wonder nobody’s blamed Palios yet! :whistling:;)
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Most of the games plus the final are being played in the States. Look what they did to Iran, that certainly was not sportsmanship.
 
Alun said:
Most of the games plus the final are being played in the States. Look what they did to Iran, that certainly was not sportsmanship.
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I know where the games are being played. Iran was about national security. But I thought we were discussing the change of kick off time in Mexico City that never was.
 
O4anotherplayoff said:
I know where the games are being played. Iran was about national security. But I thought we were discussing the change of kick off time in Mexico City that never was.
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A misunderstanding, I was talking about the price of tickets and the distance between venues and the cost of getting from one location to another.
 
Are we all staying up to watch the England game? Interestingly, I've just been listening to Brad Friedel and he says Mexico whilst not really a great team will try and get an early goal in the first 15-20 mins. If that doesn't happen, their fans will start getting on their backs, it's what they always do, which then benefits England. I think if we can get through the first 20, overcome the altitude, we should be fine.
 
Ian said:
Are we all staying up to watch the England game? Interestingly, I've just been listening to Brad Friedel and he says Mexico whilst not really a great team will try and get an early goal in the first 15-20 mins. If that doesn't happen, their fans will start getting on their backs, it's what they always do, which then benefits England. I think if we can get through the first 20, overcome the altitude, we should be fine.
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Yep. I think we have got better players and I expect us to progress.
 
Yes I’ll be staying up, had plenty of practice in recent weeks! Think we’ll squeak through but might need the extra time or even pens. Torn between 1-2, 2-2 or 2-3 (AET) right now so might kick the can until I see the line ups.
 
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