Thierry Henry has warned England that they will not stage another World Cup comeback if they go behind against Mexico in the last 16. England were stunned early in their round-of-32 game against DR Congo on Wednesday following Brian Cipenga’s goal in the seventh minute. Thomas Tuchel’s side left it late as two goals from Harry Kane sealed a 2-1 victory over DR Congo to set up a round-of-16 tie against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium at 1am BST on Monday morning.
Mexico’s Perfect Record
Mexico has won all four of their games at the World Cup against South Africa, South Korea, the Czech Republic and Ecuador and are yet to concede a goal in the tournament. The co-hosts also have a significant advantage as the Azteca is around 7,200ft above sea level, leaving England’s players with no time to adjust to the altitude.
Henry’s Warning
Henry, who won the World Cup with France in 1998, predicts England will struggle if they concede first against Mexico. ‘You don’t want to go there too soon right but you have to address the situation,’ Henry told Fox Sports. ‘If they start the same way they started today at the Azteca, dealing with the altitude, we don’t know how the weather is going to be, it’s one thing to play in a dome and to play outside. And so the Mexico we saw yesterday and how they played [against Ecuador], I don’t know if you’re going to come back against a team that still hasn’t conceded a goal.’
Kane’s Heroics Not Guaranteed
Henry acknowledged Kane’s ability but stressed England cannot rely on him every time. ‘We all know this guy, Sir Harry [Kane], can be in a situation where he can open up any team at any moment, but you can’t start like that and you’re not always going to have that cooling break that can give you a little chance, because Ecuador after that cooling break were in trouble. I mean Harry Kane… every time it’s him saving them.’
Altitude and Atmosphere
The Azteca’s altitude poses a unique challenge. England’s players will have no time to acclimatise, which could affect their performance. Mexico’s strong defence, having not conceded a single goal in four matches, adds to the difficulty. Henry emphasised that England cannot afford a slow start, as they did against DR Congo, if they hope to progress.
