World Cup: 10 man England beat Mexico in a classic – 5 Live Reaction

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1:29England winning the Azteca, 40 years on from the hand of God. Thomas Tuchel said that this stadium, it was time for England to make peace with it. Well, they've had a piece of the action here tonight. And Mexico are beaten in their stronghold in a competitive match for the first time since 2013. but England substitutes the coaches come racing on and what seems of celebration among the England players England have won it 3-2, what a match what a colossus performance that was from an England side who changed formation, they dug in they've sat so deep for the last 20 minutes of the game and then when that 11 minutes went up he made the change to a back five in the 71st minute and you thought at that point, this is going to be a long time to hold on.

2:27Almost impossible the way that the Mexicans were playing. And they didn't just hold on for that 20 minutes, they held on for 31 minutes with the added time. There's a lot of heroes out on that pitch tonight. It was a big, big shift put in. Dan Byrne, when he came onto the pitch, was absolutely outstanding. Konza Gaye, John Stones, the back five that were playing, they held on and held on so well. Jude Bellingham dropping in. every single player on that pitch turned into a defender and to sit so deep and do that for so long in a game completely opposite to how England would want to play how England normally play but they've dug in and they've somehow held on what an incredible performance and a brilliant result for England Paul Robinson thank you very much can I go to bed now?

3:16what day is it? what time is it? it's absolutely unbelievable I don't think I've been through the mill watching a football game like that. I have to say, I'm absolutely shaking after that. That was some rearguard action. Four o 'clock in the morning at home. Well, everyone back home will have gone through the ringer as well. But England can celebrate a place in the quarterfinals. Mexico are beaten in the Azteca. And England are going to play Norway in Miami on Saturday night. Final score here. Mexico 2 England 3 I'll let you two have a breather for two or three minutes and not because of the altitude either let's bring in Matt Upson and Stephen Warner that last 20 minutes what a rearguard action that was I think every defensive substitute that was brought on Matt had at some stage to produce some last ditch tackle or block stones at the very end, nearly turning into his own goal.

4:22There was a Jed Spence tackle that went out for a corner, which he had to make. There was Dan Byrne blocking Raul Jimenez's overhead kick in the D of the penalty area. They all had to put their bodies on the line at some point. They really did. And they did it brilliantly, I thought. For the team, they just looked like they were really enjoying the challenge. I will say that. I thought Pickford looked like he was in his element, coming out, punching, dealing with crosses. Dan Byrne was enjoying himself. All the pressures there, but those moments, it must be such a buzz to be on that field, knowing you're hanging on, defending that lead.

5:02What England have given. Drew Bellingham was just sensational this evening, I thought. He was absolutely brilliant physically, with his goals, with his leadership, driving us up the pitch. But the substitutions, and Thomas Tuchel to go, So, right, burnt on back three. Let's concede that. The crossers are going to come in. We're just going to have to defend it. And I'm going to ask a question of the players. Are they up for it? Can they cope with it? And the big answer was yes. What a victory that is in that stadium. That just doesn't happen. Mexico don't get beat there. It's such a brilliant win for England.

5:38Bellingham's legs as well, Stephen, in the last 20 minutes. Incredible. Incredible energy. big games call for big personalities big players and there's not many bigger than him there's been a lot of questions asked about him this year who would start in that number 10 position and he showed why he is the player who starts in that position I think he just had a sense of give me the ball, I'll protect it, I'll win it I'll keep hold of it I think there was probably a few people at the end where there could have been a little bit more composure but it's so difficult in those circumstances that atmosphere, the wave after wave of attack but when he got it there was that sense of that I think he just gassed himself out with sort of 10 minutes or so to go and that was such a shame because he just looked absolutely brilliant and him in full flow there's not many better sights and John the England players have actually left the pitch gone over the advertising hoardings and have got within maybe 10 yards of the England fans and John has also left Chappers I think he's going down to join them he's on his way down the steps now but yeah as you can see on your screens it's quite an incredible scene we've seen the england players do that after a game standing a line but today they all jumped over the hoardings they're all two or three yards away from those england supporters away to our right hand side who as well as the team were immense today very very much outnumbered but that was such a unified team performance we should also have a word for pickford here really partly for his saves in the first half but actually for the two or three occasions as well in that last 20 minutes when he commanded his area he was excellent tonight chap as he really was um i don't think to this point he's had the best of tournaments there's goals that have gone in not errors but you could question certain things in his positioning but tonight he was bold and brave yes his saves kept england in the game in the first half but for me what was more impressive was the the bravery that he had the leadership that he showed coming off his line dominating his box and that takes a lot of pressure off those defenders at times and he was excellent tonight Jordan Pickford.

7:43Alan Shearer said on TV this morning those players have represented their country in magnificent form tonight every single player had the right attitude everything that could have gone against them everything that was thrown at them energy altitude they've got past all of that and they deserved it it's an incredible performance from start to finish when they were under the cosh the manager made the right substitutions the subs came on and they did their job what an incredible night and he i suppose in hindsight matt he did make the right substitutions you you wondered whether by making the substitutions whether the ball would just keep coming back at them and it did i mean that's the last i don't know mexico had 84 possession over the last 15 minutes or so of that game.

8:33But it's not like Mexico cut them apart. No, no, and that's the point. Because if you're going to do that and you're going to put the three in, you're going to put Burn in, you're going to say, OK, we're going to defend the box. But where we were excellent is Gordon on the far side and Spence. The way they closed and just blocked the crossing channels. Once they'd figured out the in-swinging ball wanted to come in, how many times did it go out to the right-hand side? And you can tell they're looking for that angle, that moment to cross, but it wasn't there, or it was getting blocked, or they weren't getting easy crosses into the box, which then made the life of Stones and Gehe and Bern.

9:13It gave them the upper hand, really, to go and attack the ball, win the crosses when they come in, because the pressure was so good on the ball, certainly on the right-hand side. It was top. And that kind of work goes a little bit unnoticed. We were quick to mention the blocks, weren't we, and the moments of last-ditch tackles, but those stopping the cross, that's so important at that stage. And I thought that we set up really well to do that. Alan mentioned that everything that could have gone against them did go against them. But then, having looked at what Darren Cannis said on television and also, actually, Stephen, what Joe Hart said, he said, I think the referee came to the right decision on everything, both the penalties and the red card I felt every single one as soon as I saw the replays my heart was in my mouth it's difficult to disagree with that Quanto was unlucky with the waist foot bounced off the ball I suppose but the rules are the rules Yeah, I think all decisions were right I think that's the ultimate thing when you look at the decisions and VAR do get involved get involved for the right reasons and they did that and I actually thought the referee did okay in spells I think he could have been a little bit...

10:26I loved his authority. There was an authority where he stood and he got in the faces of players and he told them to get away, told them to calm down. I thought he had an authority in the field. I think there was a couple of bookings, especially the Declan Rice one early on I thought was poor, but on a whole I thought he got everything right. So you can't really complain too much. And listen, England went up against a lot tonight. A lot of talk about the conditions and what they've done. it was a game where I think there was an element when you make them substitutions, your backs against the wall you know that history can be made and there's an element of a togetherness but I think there's a real collective between the squad at the moment Matt talks there about defenders stopping crosses that was imperative tonight, it just allowed the centre-backs to get set to get organised, to latch onto players the shift that they put in tonight is quite brilliant and they deserve everything they got tonight because that was a massive shift.

11:23Again, it's another different type of performance at this World Cup, Matt, isn't it? We talked earlier about Harry Kane's different types of performance, but this is another one again. And it is the kind of performance that then cements that squad and lays the platform for the rest of the tournament. Yeah, it really does. But also it shows that while there's bumps in the road and there has been, the adaptability that we've had to show throughout the whole tournament can then become really useful when you have a fixture. This is such a one-off fixture. Like Stephen just said, there's so many things that are up against you or little tiny quirky things.

12:10And these are one-off games and the team have adapted to this situation. I couldn't believe how little of the ball, I know before Kwanzaa got sent off, it just surprised me that England didn't have more possession at all but that's what presented itself so they had to adapt, they had to adjust perhaps that was the game plan to begin with but I'm pretty sure we would like a little bit more control of the game it wasn't to be and everyone's adapted brilliantly I think they've got squad members like Dan Byrne that will come in and just give everything and do it right, he's there all the time ready to go it's a powerful thing to have certainly when you get into these situations So it's just a brilliant result.

12:50To win there is huge. Because you don't know, Stephen, when you might need that kind of performance again. Not hopefully a performance where you're down to 10, but a performance where the opposition are going to have more of the ball. It might be Norway in the next game who had a lot more of the ball than Brazil in the first last 16 match today. it might come in a semi-final potentially against Argentina might come in a final potentially against France or Spain yeah the big thing about football is is that on paper it's easy put it on paper and you go England squad's better than Mexico they should dominate the ball man for man better team better players that's not football that's not the way football plays itself out and that's the difficult part of it and this is a world cup and it's the players leaving everything on the line you're going up against a home nation in Mexico who are raising their game 10-15 % and you have to, as Matt says there, which is the perfect word, you have to adapt and you have to be able to play a different style of football.

13:57And I think that's what Thomas Tuchel brings to this group of players, is there's an understanding of when to go after a game, when to back off a game, when to go. I think they've managed it extremely well so far throughout this tournament. and I think one of the big things is is that his tactical changes in every single game have worked and that's a huge thing to have within the changing room that when you look across and that guy tells you something you fully buy into it because you think well do you know what, it keeps on working he's saying something and he's got something he's got that stardust about him yeah, another huge plus for Thomas Tuchel tonight You'd agree Matt?

14:35Absolutely, I completely agree I think the buy-in is massive when you see those changes happen all the time. And it's not just about who the right person is. It's the timing of it. It's then what system he goes to. It's what position they come up. I mean, to take Anderson off, go for the back three, you're kind of thinking, that's quite a big call at that moment. Because like I say, you are inviting the pressure. And he's bold enough to go, yeah, I am. And do you know what it might cost? We might not cope with it, but I trust in the team. and I trust the people that I'm going to put on the field that we're going to stop the crosses, we're going to defend the box well enough and it's a massive call but he's got the ability to make that call and he's brave enough to do it.

15:18I think sometimes as well we're not privy to what's going on and they'll see the stats of what's going on. Elliot Anderson's stats might have dropped, he might have just been dropping off and fatiguing and he thinks I can't afford for that to happen. As important as he is, they'll have been looking at everything tonight and saying that 1 % that we need to get over the line, And whatever it is, and listen, he took Harry Kane off. How often does he take Harry Kane off? And Harry will have accepted that because I think he realises that this manager's about the greater of the team rather than about the individual.

15:47And I think the goal that won us the game, Jack, is the Gordon penalty. It's just magnificent from Anthony Gordon. And that right there is the reason. We spoke about him before the game. He gets on the end of those things. He gets there. and it's just a brilliant piece of anticipation from him. Anthony Gordon won the penalty. Harry Kane converted it. The England captain is with Kelly Summers. Well, Harry, huge congratulations. What a contest, what a win. But I just firstly wanted to ask you what's happened over there by the England goal because there looks to be some concern. Yeah, Jordan, my place is gone.

16:25Henle just fell over there. I think it's OK. Just starting to move his arm. OK, well, as for the performance, I think it says at all the fact that your voice has gone. That was some contest to watch. What on earth was it like to play in? Yeah, it was a crazy game. We had to fight. We had to fight in something. Yeah, I've just been sitting in there. I can't really talk. But yeah, all the occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way. I was going to say, is that what pleases you the most, the resilience today? Because even your penalty, a word on that as well. not the one you scored, the one you conceded.

17:03What did you make of that? Yeah, I thought I got to the ball first. It was one of those days, the ref gave a lot against us. And in the end, it didn't matter. So yeah, I'm happy. I'm going to try one more question if your voice holds out. What can this do for England going forward? You've got a quarter final in Miami against Norway to look forward to. What can the England fans look forward to now? Well, just look at him here. Incredible. Unbelievable support. Ah, speechless. I can't even talk, so. Go and rest that voice. Rest up. Thanks, Harry. I mean, that might be the highlight of the whole night.

17:47His voice there. Goodness, goodness me. Speechless. Speechless, yeah. He wouldn't be very good in a band, would he? He wouldn't last a night on performing. I mentioned the sort of possession in the last 15 minutes. Overall, Paul, on the possession, England had just over 33%. That's their lowest since they started doing the records in 1966 in a World Cup match. And they made 48 clearances tonight, which is the most since the Belgium game in 1990 when they made 54. That's how much of a rearguard action it was. it was, it was exactly that I mean we're sat just off centre here high up in the stand and we were just fixed on the left hand half which was in front of us and actually John said to me before the game that was the end where the hand of God was the Diego Maradona goal and that's the end that England defended so resiliently for those 31 minutes that they had to last out with that back five I haven't actually got the stats for the other countries maybe France might have one but you've now got Kane and Bellingham leading the way with the goals.

18:56Kane is on six, obviously Haaland, Messi and Mbappe are on seven, but Bellingham is up to four now, Stephen. Yeah, and that's important as well. You can't just rely on Harry Kane. You've got to make sure that you're chipping in with goals from elsewhere. And we spoke about Jude Bellingham earlier on, how important he is to this team and what he provides. I think there's so much more than just the goals, though there's a leadership within his performances now. I think there's an understanding that... I think he's had to earn the trust of Thomas Tuchel. And now he feels like he's got that. We're starting to see big, big performances from him.

19:30So, yeah, those two moments in the first half where you take that gamble, you run beyond Harry Kane. That's what we know he's capable of. And the energy he brings from midfield, but also as well, the athleticism, the power. I mean, it's very, very difficult to play against him. I'm just going to go back to Paul Robinson in the Azteca. We sort of heard in that Harry Kane interview that there had been a bit of kerfuffle when the England players were celebrating with the fans. There are reports that, and Harry Kay mentioned, that it was Jordan Henderson who fell and has hurt himself in some way. We're not quite sure what at the moment.

20:07Paul Robinson? Speculating that he's fell on his arm, I think. I mean, it was a big crowd of England players over there and they were surrounded by a lot of the press and a lot of the media, the photographers. So from our high-elevated position, and you couldn't really see it because whoever it was that we didn't know at the time was clearly surrounded very quickly by all his England teammates but were led to believe it's Jordan Henderson and he's fallen on his arm. OK, so that will be a story as well that will develop over the course of the morning as well, you would have thought. I suppose if there is one question mark going into Norway in Miami, Stephen, it is right back now.

20:48I know Spence came on and he had a niggle pre-match not quite sure where we're at with Rhys James but now you've got Kwanzaa who will be suspended so again it will require a different starting right back Yeah, I think when you look at Esri Kwanzaa's contribution as a right back and John Stone's coming into the heart of defence I think is that something you'll look at and think well I know that Esri Kwanzaa can play that position comfortably we looked at the way that England played tonight and Jarrell Kwanza dropping into that back three, well, Kwanza can do that as well. So he's got plenty of options in that back line.

21:24He's got a lot of versatility. Jed Spence looked fit when he came on, so I'm not so sure how much of an injury he had. But that right-back berth will be the one that's been spoke about for a while and hopefully he's got a clean bill of health ahead of the game and Rhys James is back as well. But we obviously know Jarrell Kwanza will be missing. surely we can get somebody to make a phone call to FIFA chappers that'll all get ironed out

21:53well yes I don't know who that would be at the moment I don't know is that meant to go on Andy Burnham's plate I don't know I think we can hear from John Murray on the Jordan Henderson situation John Mark I had to make my way down from our commentary position which is a circuitous route and there are many many corridors in the bowels of the Aztec Stadium and just as I was nearing the the point where you turn the corner to come to the interview area there were there were probably 10 or 15 stewards who asked me to stop stop there in the corridor and I saw the the stretcher coming past with various England medical officials around it so I could see it was an England player on the stretcher but it was whisked passed me so quickly but since I've got to this area I've been told that it is Jordan Henderson who is there so he has been he's been taken away on a stretcher presumably to an ambulance and you know I could see that he was having oxygen administered to him so I don't know what happened in that incident and I gather that that's unclear to you as well but I have seen it disappear it's Jordan Henderson who was stretched away.

23:06And the reports are that it was some kind of, he suffered some kind of arm or hand injury, but that hasn't been confirmed to you yet? No, no, no, not yet. We won't hear more about that, I wouldn't have thought, until Thomas Tuchel comes and speaks to us. Do you think, John, as you're waiting for the interviews, having done all of these England games with Thomas Tuchel, do you think that's his best game, tactically, decision-wise, substitutions-wise? Hello. Well, because they won it, then yes. But, I mean, you know, they were clinging on by their fingertips. And, you know, it was a rearguard action, but it probably had to be a rearguard action.

23:48So, of his results, I think in terms of the calibre of opposition, you know, Mexico are ranked 10th in the world. And, you know, we've talked all week about what it is they came to face here. And, my goodness, they had to face it as well. You know, the hostility, the noise from the crowd. I don't think I'll hear a better atmosphere than that at this World Cup, you've got to put up with that balls into the penalty area so the answer to that has to be yes to get through to a quarter final of the World Cup Are there any other questions that you would have about how England set up for Norway based on when it was 11 against 11 and I'm going back to it's interesting isn't it because we've had some games where we've questioned the left side and I feel like tonight we may be questioning the right side but I don't know how much weight you put on that at the moment when it depends maybe on players' fitnesses or conditions or the like.

24:44Obviously, I'm talking about Saka, really. Yeah, I mean, how we go about that, I think it's going to be interesting to see. Obviously, Norway have shown that they can dominate Brazil comfortably with the ball. So, you know, how we play tonight, are we going to expect to be able to match that or even go surpass that. I'm not too sure we are going to do that, to be honest. I think we've had quite a lot of success playing the way that we have. I mean, just one point about tonight, Chappers. I just want to say, I thought both teams played the game. I never saw one player laying on the floor when they shouldn't have been.

25:16It was just such a competitive, wholehearted, proper game of football. Nobody diving about, nobody trying to win anything. It was proper. Really just want to say that I really enjoyed the way both teams went about it. But how England go about Norway, again, Thomas Tuchel, it'll be different. I'm pretty sure the players will have to adapt to something a little bit different. And that's been the nature of this whole World Cup for England for me. Chappers, it's interesting when you look at Norway, because a lot of their possession is in and around the back. If you watch Sander Berg, half of his passes in a game, I'd actually say probably three quarters of them are negative and backwards and they keep the ball rotating around the back and then it's about how England then go and press and when they press or do they wait and wait for that ball to go into midfield and then try and counter-attack like Brazil did today but I think England have got far more than Brazil I think they're a better team than Brazil I think they've got more attributes in wide areas I don't understand why you wouldn't go after Norway again we look on paper and this is the talking point is on paper England have the better team.

26:26The hard thing is, is just conditions. Miami will be sweltering. It will be hot. It'll be very difficult to play at a high tempo. So I think to Matt's point there, the way things are working at the moment is because they conserve an energy. And that's one of the most vital things that you've got to do in a game. I suppose what you would say though there is Paul Robertson, it's going to be the same for both of them. It's not like as if you were playing Brazil where they would have an advantage. No, exactly. But I think Norway have played in hotter conditions than England have done. And I think England have been lucky with the conditions, certainly here, the last two games, pouring rain and in an enclosed arena.

27:05I think Miami's going to bring a different challenge for England. But I think the biggest thing you can take from today, I think it's the togetherness and what a win does like that for the feeling in camp. Because going so late into a tournament, we know it's such a long tournament, but the camaraderie and the togetherness that was shown on that pitch today And between the substitutes that came on, the substitutes that didn't come on, everybody celebrated together. And do not underestimate what that can do going into the next game.

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28:38five lights for my favorite world cup moment it's the first world cup i properly remember watching Argentina 78 the ticker tape Mario Kempes Ari Hahn scoring goals from miles out and always one of my favourite World Cup moments Archie Gemmels great goal for Scotland against the Dutch what makes the World Cup such a special tournament is the atmosphere, the colour it is a meeting of the nations and of people who love football the People World Cup 2026 listen on BBC Sounds at the People World Cup 2026 The Football Daily Podcast. With Mark Chapman. Listen on BBC Sounds. Here's Thomas Tuchel. Yes, Thomas Tuchel is with us live on BBC Radio 5, live after an extraordinary night.

29:27Thomas, first of all, I know it'll probably be at the front of your mind, as I arrived down here, I saw Jordan Henderson being stretched away. So what can you tell us about him? Not a lot. He's just stretched away into a hospital and injured his wrist. and it seems like quite serious. Really? Okay. So that's about the size? Over I think in the celebrations or something, I don't know exactly how it happened, but it seems like a serious injury. So that's clearly a real black edge on the evening. Yeah, it is, because no one deserves it, but for sure not Jordan. It just doesn't fit to the evening.

30:07The evening will go down as one of England's greatest World Cup knights. Deservedly so, I have to say. What a drama. What a drama from the first minute. What a crazy game. What a frame of a game. What an emotional rollercoaster. What a national anthem in the beginning from the Mexican people. I mean, honestly, I'm so proud that I was a part of it. and then see my team dig in, see my team with pure will, just refusing to give in, just refusing to lose this match no matter what. It just makes you proud. It was a fight for a long, long, long time with 10 men, but there's a lot to love about this team.

30:56You did say you felt there was something big coming, which I remember you saying in the autumn before Belgrade. Yes, I thought performance-wise. I still think there's a disconnect from what I saw yesterday in training because it was on the highest, highest level and I see this just in glimpses in the game. But this was a one-off though, wasn't it? A one-off what? In terms of the occasion. Yeah, I get it. I mean, I'm just on the sideline and I don't feel pressure, but I think we can play so much better, still so much better. Because I still feel there's a disadvantage disconnect from football level, from decision-making, from ball speed, from courage on the ball, from eliminating opponents with our passes, from going through gaps.

31:45There's still a disconnect, we still can do better. But in terms of what is lovable about the team as a fan and the heart, they bring into this and they believe it's one of a kind. When you said to the FA, yes, I will be the England manager, you must have had your eye on this kind of night.