Kansas City was fine. Kansas City made sense. England’s 2-1 escape against DR Congo was ugly enough to raise questions about Thomas Tuchel’s squad construction, but at least the air was breathable and the crowd was neutral. Now they fly to the Azteca, where the oxygen drops by 20 percent, Mexico has lost twice in 88 games there, and no visiting team has scored so far in this World Cup. The altitude problem is real. The defensive problem is worse.
Tuchel gambled badly on the right back position. He brought Reece James and Tino Livramento, both coming off injury-hit seasons. Both are now hurt. Livramento flew home before the tournament started, and instead of calling up a natural right back, Tuchel added Trevor Chalobah — a center-half. So against DR Congo, England ended up playing Declan Rice at right back in the closing stages. Rice actually looked good there, linking up with Bukayo Saka and sparking the equalizer with a clever run to the byline. That’s the dilemma now: Rice might be England’s best option at right back, but he’s also their best midfielder. Playing him out of position against Mexico feels like a waste, but what’s the alternative? Djed Spence had a rough game against DR Congo, and everyone else is hurt.
Midfield chemistry is off
On paper, Rice alongside Elliott Anderson and Jude Bellingham should work. It hasn’t. Anderson and Rice aren’t contributing enough going forward, and the midfield leaves the back four exposed on the counter. One fix: drop Rice deep as a shield, let Kobbie Mainoo roam forward, and tell Bellingham to stay high and stop worrying about defensive recovery. That only works if the wide players track back, which hasn’t happened yet. Another option is shifting to a 4-3-3 with Bellingham deeper and adding Morgan Rogers or Eberechi Eze to the front three, but neither plays like a traditional winger. They drift inside, which opens space for full backs to overlap. Something has to change, because the current setup isn’t driving play forward or protecting the defense.
Pickford is becoming a liability
Jordan Pickford has 88 caps and has been England’s starter since 2018. He has not been good this month. Against Croatia he was soft on the first goal. Against Ghana he rushed out, missed the ball, wiped out Prince Abu, and only stayed on the field because the referee swallowed his whistle. Against DR Congo he got beat at his near post by Brian Cipenga, the kind of goal a world-class keeper saves. Dean Henderson and James Trafford are sitting on the bench wondering. Tuchel probably doesn’t want to switch keepers before a knockout game, but Pickford is making it hard to trust him.
The wide players haven’t delivered
None of the four wingers used so far — Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka — have been consistently dangerous. They’ve all looked better off the bench than as starters. Eze or Mainoo might unlock something against Mexico, which will push numbers forward and leave gaps to exploit. England has moved the ball too slowly in this tournament and hasn’t played enough between the lines. Those two players fix both problems.
Altitude is a real threat
England returns to Kansas City after the DR Congo match, then flies to Mexico City on Friday. That gives them about two days to acclimate. Olympic athletes spend two weeks at altitude before competing. The team’s thinking is that two nights of sleep at elevation helps more than getting there early and risking sickness before the recommended 2-3 week adjustment period kicks in. It’s a no-win situation. Mexico breathes normally, runs freely, and feeds off the crowd. England gets a plane ride and some oxygen masks. No team has scored at the Azteca in this World Cup. If England can’t fix its right back situation, its midfield shape, its goalkeeping, and its wide production in 48 hours, that streak isn’t ending Saturday.
Leave a Comment