World Cup: Can England Cope With Mexico?

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1:19Hello and welcome to the Football Daily. With me, Rick Edwards. And Dion Dublin. Hello, sir. Hello, Dion. I'm very well, thank you. So, the scores today. Morocco and France both through to the quarterfinals. Morocco beat Canada 3-0. France beat Paraguay 1-0. We'll talk about those games shortly. It's the 4th of July here. And there is a kind of frisson, isn't there? Yes, there is. There's a lot of people wearing their various kind of stars and stripes get up. Yes, USA shouts everywhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I haven't got involved. But I have got an invite to a 4th of July party. Have you? Yeah. Let's go.

1:52I don't know if British people are massively welcome. Well, then let's not go. I think it might be let's not go I'm sort of worried that we're going to turn up exactly and then get attacked as soon as they hear the voices we're big lads we'll be alright it's true it's true I'll be looking to run to the car I think more than anything else how have you been finding Santa Monica I like Santa Monica it's alright isn't it yeah I do it's quite different to LA it is completely I like Santa it's quite chilled here there's a lot to do there's lots of cafes and bars and restaurants the walks are amazing as well the beach is literally 100 yards in that direction so yeah very very different have you been to Muscle Beach yet?

2:28you'd fit in alright at Muscle Beach I'm not sure about that I went to Muscle Beach and I sort of went oh let me just walk past there's some big lads there by the way the top is going it's back down again they've all got six pack I've got a one pack I like to call it the keg the family pack yeah exactly no laughing matter England are playing later today yes yes 1am in the UK if it doesn't change again the game is live on BBC One BBC iPlayer BBC Five Live The website is on everything. You'll definitely be able to consume it. Well, let's bring in Sammy Mockbell, Senior Football Correspondent for BBC Sport.

3:02Sammy, are you at the Azteca right now? I am in situ at the Azteca. This is a bucket list moment for me, guys. I repeat, a bucket list moment. Can't believe I'm here. And ever since the draw was made, I was like, hopefully the results go the way and that I can get here and cross it off the bucket list. And here we are. So, yeah, I'm chuffed. How's your breathing? How's the air? that's all anyone cares about isn't it yeah altitude training yeah no so on the way to training today so you have to we have to watch England train we have to walk down this very steep hill which is fine walking down the steep hill coming back up the other way where you have where you begin to have a problem and yeah look I haven't I'm sure you've seen on social media sort of streams of journalists going for runs and writing pieces.

3:54I'm not brave enough to do that. But yeah, by all accounts, by all accounts, the air is considerably thinner. Have you ever played in those conditions, Dion? I have, yeah. I actually played in the Giants stadium against Sampdoria once. I was playing for Villa in this pre-season tour. And you have to choose. Messi will be fine because he doesn't run anywhere. So Messi will be fine if he ever plays in that stadium. But yeah, it's just choosing when to use your energy. And you get this... smart about it. Yeah, it's been smart, but it's also the lactic acid in your legs and your arms and your body just seems to get tighter and stronger.

4:31So lots of water, lots of the gels and all that kind of stuff. Don't be running about, because if you sprinting about all over the place, you will hit it. It'll hit you, without a doubt. How intense? I guess you watched the training session, Sammy. How intense was that? We only get to watch the first 15 to 20 minutes of it. So part of that is the warm-up, and then they get the ball out partly so in terms of reading into the session and how hard they they have worked after the cameras went away we don't know but from the from the moments that we saw it was very light but I think that is actually in line with how Thomas Tuchel wants to approach the game if he could he would just arrive as late as possible and fly and obviously then do the game play the gaming and get out as soon as possible because I think the longer you are here the more it has an effect on your body and I think it takes at least four or five days minimum for your body to to acclimatize and obviously England just haven't have that don't have that luxury so for them I think it is just have a light session get back to the hotel rest recover and then play the game Sammy what's your what's your vibe on it then what did you take from it just from the feeling you were there for a few minutes and you're seeing them when they came out what was the vibe you know it's very relaxed dion i think that would take in a lot of i guess confidence out of the the dr congo game because to come back and i know a lot of people and detractors will say well it's only dr congo but to show that resilience to come back in the second half and score those two goals i think that's really lifted the mood dion and as i say from the moments that i spent with them this afternoon.

6:13There really seems to be a relaxed atmosphere in camp for sure. You talk about rest and recover at the hotel. That is only if that is possible because we know that the Mexico fans are aware of where England are staying. They've already given them a nice reception. So the chances are it's going to be a friendly reception. Great to have you here guys. Yes. Lovely to have you. So you feel like they might well be out there again tonight. So I mean I've been saying earplugs all along. Earplugs, earplugs, earplugs. Yeah You'd imagine so Rick Yeah And I know we're laughing about it But if If it does come to that And it does disrupt The players sleep And I genuinely think That's a serious situation And that's That's another Issue that they That they need to To encounter These games You know England are playing Every four days So I think every little bit Of rest and recovery That they can get In the locker Is vital In the Sort of It certainly needs These knockout matches so if David you know what Sammy you know what Sammy you are spot on with the disruption when the manager wants you to do a certain thing as a player and you need to get that done if it's disrupted then everything's gone you know what you wear what time you gotta be somewhere what you eat what you drink and we had it at Man United where we played against Galatasaray away in you know fireworks and all that fireworks and welcome to hell and all that kind of stuff and we were absolutely terrified terrified as a fan there's part of me that loves it you enjoy it I respect it.

7:42Like I do. I can't help it. What's wrong with you? It's a bit of fun. And what it was as well, their fans got in the hotel and got on the same floor and knocked on the doors. That's more of an issue. And that's more of an issue. Exactly. But that's what Sammy's saying. If things disrupt the players, the food, their drink, their sleep, everything, then everything changes. It really does. In terms of how England approached this game then on the pitch, Sammy, do we have an idea of how Thomas Tuchel is going to set up and whether it is likely that they press a bit less intensely or sort of try and save themselves or bring in subs earlier.

8:19There's lots of things to think about. I think certainly, Rick, I think what they've looked at this week is maybe, I don't want to call it a low block because I think England will go into the game and want to be on the front foot and actually be proactive in trying to win the game. But from what I understand, I don't think it makes sense and then chasing the game from the very off. I think, as Dion said, they need to choose their moments and sort of preserve as much energy as they can. So to go hell for leather from the first whistle, that's just unsustainable. So they're going to have to be clever about it.

8:56They're going to have to go about the game in a different way than perhaps we would recognise a Thomas Tuchel side would be on the front foot and sort of press and be proactive. but in the conditions that they're going to be playing in in sort of 2 ,240 metres above sea level, you know, needs must and they're going to have to adjust their style according to those energy sapping conditions. You know, Sammy, it's just doing what needs to be done. You know, honestly, it's sometimes when you need and you have to get the result early on and get a goal, then you go for the throat. You have to go high pressure.

9:34You have to go together. there has to be a trigger and you go together sometimes you can feel the game out you cannot get sucked into the atmosphere the atmosphere and the noise is going to be bizarre in the stadium all green all noise all mexico you cannot get sucked into that game plan what did the manager tell us to do let's try and do it to the letter and make it work then england will have a chance one thing i didn't like reading earlier on was that england have conceded first in their last six knockout games at major tournaments. What you do not want is to be chasing this game in that atmosphere, in that environment.

10:11Yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%, because then, you know, it's, then you have to do something different and you have to, I don't know, you have to sort of leave your ranks, so to speak, and leave your position and then you leave gaps in behind you. But if you're one down and you're chasing the game and 20 minutes in, it is, it's very different. It's a very different mindset because when you start the game, you have something in your hand. and when you go one down, you have nothing, so you have to go for it. When you've got something in your hand and you can get over the line, you play differently. You really do.

10:41Who is definitely fit to start in those key kind of problem areas, Sammy? I guess the key development, Rick, out of training today was the return to training of Jarrell Kwanzaa. So he hasn't featured in training or in any of the matches since coming off with an ankle injury against Ghana in the second game, But he made his first return to full training today and he's available now for the game against Mexico. Whether he starts, I don't know. He's only got that one training session under his belt. But that does sort of lessen, I guess, the right-back crisis that Thomas Suikol's got at the moment.

11:14We know Rhys James, he hasn't trained today, so it looks very unlikely that he's going to be available for the game. So at the moment, it's looking like a toss-up between Jed Spence, perhaps Ezri Konza goes back into right-back. and now maybe Jarrell Kwanza, if he is fit enough to come off the bench, then maybe he's an option from there. But I think it will be between Esri Kwanza and Jed Spence to start a right back tomorrow. I mean, we just know the subs are going to be absolutely key, don't we, I think. Sammy, we've got to let you go because I think you've got to go to Thomas Tuchel's press conference now.

11:46Thanks very much, mate. Cheers, Sammy. Cheers, boys. In every World Cup, in every major tournament, any team that is going to win it has to get through a game or a night or whatever that is uncomfortable. And this feels like it might be it for England, doesn't it? Yeah, I'm not sure. Is there a more uncomfortable game, Rick? I don't think there is. I'd say no. I've said it from a while ago when I saw that this was a possibility. I was like, that is going to be. Particularly, actually, after I saw the first Mexico game, I was like, aha. During this World Cup, I've been to Seattle, I've been to Vancouver, I've been here in LA, and I've been to MetLife in New Jersey.

12:23And I've seen, you know, Mexican fans everywhere. They're probably not even playing in that city or in that area, but they're around. They're in the country. They want to be part of it. They are absolutely manic fans, and they want to be where their team's going to hopefully progress. This, for me, if England get over this one, they've got a chance. Yeah. I think this is the biggest game. Forget Germany, forget Spain. I think this is the biggest one in that stadium. If England can get over this hurdle, which is huge, who knows? And it is interesting, isn't it? Because the whole way along, there's been this kind of narrative, and part of it has come from Tuchel himself, that England will be better against a team that tries to play, that tries to be a bit more expansive, that attacks them because it leaves space.

13:12So we saw that in the Croatia game in the second half, maybe. And then since then, there's been quite a lot of teams that have set up defensively, have done a really good job. Now, Mexico, spurred on by that crowd, they're not going to sit back. So maybe, maybe we see some of what Thomas Tuchel has promised. Maybe. Yeah, well, again, it's down to his start in 11 with Rashford, Gordon, we don't know because we have a lot of pace when we need it. It's just making sure. I think the most important thing about this game is when we are in possession, how we are defensively. Because they will come out the blocks and they will go, right, this is our home, you're getting nothing from us.

13:55and that's what we're going to have to deal with. So how do you set up then? If it's you, first of all, right back, is it just Jed Spence again? If Kwanzaa's fit, I think Kwanzaa starts. I do, I do. I think Jed Spence... Would he be fit after one day of training? Depends how bad the injury was. We don't know how bad the injury was. You know, we don't know how bad it was. Turned his ankle, doesn't it? Yeah, exactly. An injury is, an injury to me, is when you have a tear, when you have a tear, your muscles come apart. When you rock your ankle, you can ice it and you can strap it and you can get through no problem at all so it's just pain it's not an injury it's just pain so he should be able to get through that Kwanzaa will start I think if he can get through the game I would start Rashford I think we need him just in case they come for us and he can do that what we call him with a cheating role and stay a little bit further forward so we have an out ball Harry Kane will drop into the 10 and Rashford will be the first play forward and then on the right hand side start with Madweke.

14:54I mean, it's interesting. All of our wide men have looked best when they come off the bench. Sure. But they can't all come off the bench. We need to start soon. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah, you can't just have we're going to keep all four off. And then you can come off the bench first because you look great. And then with 30 minutes. Yeah, well, Madweke, in one of the games, and I don't know which game it was so far that England have played, I think he got a bit of a rocket from the manager. What I mean, he got a bit of a telling off. And he came out in the second half or, I hate to say it, the final quarter of the game.

15:24And he was outstanding. So he needs to be dynamic. He needs to get the ball to his feet. He needs to take his man on and cross the ball to Harry Kane. That is it. That's all he needs to do. And then you assume Anderson and Rice in the middle of the park. And that's a big, big, big job for them. They've been great. Anderson's been outstanding. Rice does what he does. I think Rice is the best in that position in the world at the moment. and Elliot Anderson for me, I mean, he's kind of taken, he's taken the role of captain without the captain's armband as in give me the ball, let me start things happen for you.

15:58He looks very confident and it was at 22. What a player he looks, what a player. I mean, one issue I noticed is that arguably Mexico's best player is on the left, Quinones, who's been fantastic and that is where our kind of problem area is. Who offers the most support to the right back coming back and doing defensive work? Is it Madueke or Saka, or is it just Anderson or Rice have to come across? I don't think the support is... I don't think he has to have the support, because I think he's good enough to do it. Whether it's Kwanzaa or Jess Spence, I think they're enough. One-on-one, they should be okay to deal with it.

16:36If you're going to get the support, probably Bukayo Saka is probably a bit more disciplined. Madueke likes to stay high. But I back our defence as one-on-one defenders. How did you deal with atmospheres like this? You talked about Galas Aserai before the game, but once you're actually in there, once you're in hell... Bit my nails a few times. But can you just block it out? Yeah, you can. As soon as the game starts, again, you've heard it many times, Rick, you go over the white line, that's it. You can't hear, you can't see, it's just about your job. And I think when you do that, it's all about the preparation that's the problem.

17:09Being in the hotel is the problem. Fans outside the hotel, throwing things at coaches, making it uncomfortable for you. That's the bit you've got to deal with. The game, not a problem at all. The players will be fine. Do you worry? So at my incredibly low level of football, always worry about my first touch. You've been around here a long time now, let me tell you. But the first touch of the ball I ever get in the game, I just want that to be all right. And then I sort of feel like good. Yeah, I'm okay. Do pros have that? Yeah, you do. You must hate it if you have a bad first touch. Yeah, I can't remember.

17:38When was that? I think it was a Tuesday morning once. no I think as a centre forward as long as you are secure with the ball when it's dropped into you and you're chest in you hold on to it and you hold off to your defender and you can bring in midfield player in what that does it's not just good for you it's good for your other team that they think I'll hold it he's on it now so I can find a new position when he's controlled the ball being secure as a centre forward is so important as a midfielder first pass forward is important as a defender first challenge first header I'm okay I'm okay it's just about that first momentum where's it going to take you how do you feel i'm going to be good today is there an argument for holding back some and i'm convinced that thomas nicole won't do this but holding back some of your key weapons until the last half an hour because we are going to be dealing with these conditions that we are not acclimatized to and i'm not saying don't start harry yeah i know what you mean but maybe i am yeah but it would be such a big call if it didn't work you'd get absolutely annihilated absolutely do you know what i mean though like if you sort of thought right we'll hold it for an hour we'll hold it and then bang bring on fresh legs and you've got you've got bellingham you've got cane you've got i know you don't like it i'm not sure i'm not sure you throw it out there i'm gonna quash it i'm gonna go absolutely no chance absolutely no chance we go heavy, we go strong.

19:06What we don't want to do is chase the game. We have to get into a situation where we are on top, we are ahead and then you manage that. What you don't want to manage is you don't want to manage chasing. You want to manage being in front and then the manager can get his defenders on, maybe go far in the back, maybe keep Elliott and Rice staying there, not moving. You don't want to chase it where they have to go forward. So get ahead, get ahead, be positive.

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21:14The Football Day at the People World Cup 2026. Listen on BBC Sounds.

21:24Right, we've got our first quarterfinal confirmed. Morocco, France, Thursday the 9th of July. I thought I could fixture that. Morocco, the first African team through the quarters after beating the host Canada quite comfortably in the end, 3-0. Let's bring in Moroccan football journalist Amin El-Amri. Hey, Amin, how are you doing? Hi, how's it going, guys? Yeah, very well. I imagine you're pretty chuffed with what you saw from your team, particularly in the second half. There was a doozy against Canada. I think the spirit was there, but maybe some overconfidence at the start of the game and the approach.

21:59But it all got corrected very well by some guy that Mohamed Wahby, a coach of the very, very best. I think he managed the second half brilliantly, scoring in a set-up piece and then just rolling what we used to see from this team of Morocco, So sitting a little back and then hitting whenever the lanes are opened up. And, yeah, I think we managed to win and suffer as well, which is the mark of the big teams. Yeah, I completely agree. What do you think the manager said at half-time? Because Canada were, without, like, properly threatening, they were on top, weren't they? Yeah, they were physically.

22:42I think the 120 minutes against Netherlands was still there. I think Canada was just with the right mindset approaching this game. But I don't know about the hair policy from Sir Alex Ferguson, but I pretty much think Mohamed Wahby has had a very, very strong speech in the locker room. I think that was the key. We don't know what appliance he's brought out, but he's definitely aimed something at the players. Maybe the Hoover. What's changed in Moroccan football? because you seem to have gone to a new level. You seem to be achieving a lot consistently now. The way that you're playing the game is the right way.

23:27You play at a high pace, you play good football. What's changed or who's changed it? I think everybody agreed after the semifinal against France in Qatar four years ago that, yeah, we've kind of broken the glass ceiling. And, yeah, there's a whole other world above. And I think we needed to stay put and to give consistency to this. Because we've seen South Korea, obviously, in 2002. We've seen Turkey, which didn't make it to the World Cup for two decades later. And I think Morocco has this big challenge to confirm that what happened in Qatar wasn't just mere chance or just stars aligning. I think the work that has been done in grassroots level, especially with the Mohamed Six Academy, and the scouting of any talent that has a big, big tie with Morocco, especially emotionally and from a familiar point of view, that led to make a really strong case.

24:30I think the little hurdle was the AFCON, especially what happened, the scenario, the Hitchcock movie ending. in that final changed a lot of things, mainly that Willy Drogragi, who opened up that door four years ago, was needed to step aside and bring in somebody that has maybe more tactical knowledge and affinity. And I think this shows on the team. I mean, the first game against Brazil, obviously we were very, very good until the cooling break. Yeah, the nice cooling break that everybody loves. and yeah I think you can tell by the boon's got you listen I have been watching football for as many as four decades now I have never seen the Netherlands sitting back in the 30 meters square and never moving up and I think this personality of this Moroccan team is reaching some new levels and beware France beware of that yeah I mean you go into that game inevitably as as underdogs because France are still the favorites but I wonder if that suits Morocco.

25:45I think it does I think it does I think you're right I think the favorite suit doesn't really suit us right now I think it has been the case against Canada it has been the case against Haiti. Listen I don't think any player needs the motivation when you're playing those big names you know France, Netherlands, Brazil, etc., Spain, etc. But when you play somebody that is maybe lower in the FIFA ranking, you need that extra motivation, that extra focus, especially in the approach of your game. We've seen that we completely, excuse me, the term screwed up against Haiti in the first half. It happened again against Canada without really conceding anything.

26:30But I think against big teams, the motivation is there, especially, especially against France. What do the Moroccan fans expect you to achieve? Is there an expectance? Is there a level you have to get to and they will go, that's okay? I think the general mindset is take it game by game. I think what happened when... I want more now. I want more than that. You want to get to the quarters? Talk to me. Come on, I need more than that now. Come on. I know, I know. But really, this is the mindset now because like I said, the AFCON is still there. I mean, I had PTSD-like symptoms almost for eight weeks afterwards because whenever somebody put the ball in the penalty spot, I was like, oh, my God, Brahim Diaz.

27:23And, yeah, I think the mindset is that. And, yeah, we've got ambition. We've got confidence in this group. but nobody will say that okay we'll beat France we're overconfident I think it's a mistake to go like that and I think that was the mistake that as Moroccans as a group of people we committed that mistake against Canada and we almost paid it but at the end of the day we've shown that we're a big team. How will Morocco set up to try and deal with that ferocious France forward line that we've all spoken so much about and enjoy watching my really uh scare or concern is about Saibari being limping off uh in the first 20 or so minutes uh you know he helped us a lot in terms of pressing and keeping the defenders very very low uh on the opposing side uh also very very good in tracking the the number six or uh you know the the the launching ramp from from the opposing side.

28:29I think that would be a big hurdle but in terms of defense, the defensive line is very very good. Maybe if we can get back Shadi Riyad, fit 100 % for the Thursday game, we would have a very good chance to stop this because obviously they come in from the flanks. we've got very serious people there like Mazraoui like like Hakimi and the guys from the midfield that are really willing to help but it's still France I think their weakness is in the deep the depth of their midfield and in defense so we might get a chance there but like you said the priority would be to stop one of the best players so so the semi-finals and that's what what you're saying, semifinals.