Mexico supervisor Javier Aguirre described Harry Kane as “world class” and mentioned his facet will must be at their greatest to cease the England captain of their last-16 conflict.
Co-hosts Mexico will welcome England to the long-lasting Mexico Metropolis Stadium to face both Norway or Brazil for a spot within the World Cup quarter-finals.
Mexico has received all 4 matches at this yr’s World Cup, already setting a report for many wins in a single match, with their most up-to-date win being a 2-0 victory over Ecuador.
Thomas Tuchel’s staff got here from behind to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1, and Kane’s two late targets ensured their victory and a spot within the final 16.
Since Euro 2020, Kane has scored 10 targets in 11 video games performed within the knockout phases of main tournaments (World Cup/Euro), which is tied with Kylian Mbappé for probably the most targets amongst European gamers throughout the identical interval.
He additionally grew to become the primary English participant since Gary Lineker within the 1990 quarter-final towards Cameroon to attain two targets in a World Cup finals match, whereas his 5 targets on this match put him two behind Lionel Messi and Mbappe within the race for the Golden Boot.
The Bayern Munich striker has scored 4 targets together with his head within the World Cup, three of which have come on this match. Solely Miroslav Klose (seven) and Gerd Muller (5) have scored extra headers on this competitors than Kane (since 1966).
“They’re a really sturdy staff bodily, however additionally they play good soccer,” Aguirre mentioned. “Harry Kane is a world-class particular person.
“The targets he scored for Tottenham, the targets he scored for Bayern and the targets he scored for the nationwide staff are the targets of a high participant, a high participant on the earth.
“We will all the time have somebody on high of him so he would not get comfy on the sphere when he drops to the receiving finish and he cannot create performs.”
That is the second time Mexico and England have confronted one another on the World Cup, with the Three Lions clinching the trophy in 1966 with a 2-0 win within the group stage match.
Nevertheless, Aguirre’s staff is enjoying in a stadium (W8 D2) the place they’ve by no means misplaced in a World Cup and have received their final six video games in a row. This would be the eleventh time they’ve performed there in FIFA’s flagship competitors, probably the most matches a staff has performed at one venue within the competitors’s historical past.
Mexico Metropolis Stadium is situated 7,220 ft above sea degree, and video games are performed at excessive altitude, however Aguirre would not pay any consideration to that issue.
Aguirre added: “Traditionally, English gamers are fairly agile and quick.”
“They’ve key gamers who play each domestically and internationally, so bodily they’re highly effective. They’ve nice gamers.
“I bear in mind their model has modified since[Gareth]Southgate.[Thomas]Tuchel continues to do this together with his personal nuances and concepts and so they play in two alternative ways.”
“Earlier than, they have been actually quick and have been inflicting us bother with lengthy, broad passes, second balls and lengthy transitions.
“Sure, they nonetheless do this at this time, but when it doesn’t work, they transfer on to one thing else.
“What about altitude? I am not specializing in that. It is 11-on-11 and the referee is there, so I am not fascinated by that. We will purpose for one another’s targets.”
