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Kane to the rescue as England squeeze past DR Congo
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Brad Friedel: Mexico Are Below Average — England Should Win
At 22:52 · chapter starts 22:45
After Micah's cautious tactical overview, Brad Friedel cuts through with a blunter verdict. Having played against Mexico throughout his career, he knows their game: they use altitude and the Azteca's noise to suffocate opponents in the first 20 minutes, pressing with maximum intensity. But once that period passes, their players are exhausted because of the oxygen deficit at altitude — and they have only been creating around five chances per game across the tournament. England's task is simply to survive that opening burst without conceding. After that, Brad believes England are so much better than Mexico — rating them as not just average but below average — that the quality difference will tell. The altitude remains no joke, the heat is no joke, but it would be a tragedy if England were knocked out by a team this beatable simply because of conditions. [1] — Brad Friedel "Mexico try to suffocate opponents with altitude and intensity in the first 20 minutes. After that, their players are dead on their feet. En…" 22:45
Mexico try to suffocate opponents with altitude and intensity in the first 20 minutes. After that, their players are dead on their feet. England's task is simple: don't concede early. Brad Friedel thinks England are so much better than Mexico that the result should look after itself.
Brad Friedel warned that Mexico City's altitude and heat are genuinely challenging, with Mexico's players typically pressing hard for 20 minutes then fading — but England must not concede early.
The USA progressed from the group stage with a comfortable victory over Bosnia, setting up a last-16 clash with Belgium.
