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MEXICO CITY — Y si sí it's coming home?There is perhaps no better venue for a World Cup match between Mexico and England than Estadio Azteca. The historic cathedral of football has hosted El Tri and some of the most iconic moments in the sport through Mexico's two previous times as a host country.There's Pelé wearing a sombrero while being carried off by fans who stormed the pitch after Brazil beat Italy 4-1 in the 1970 World Cup final. There's also two of Diego Maradona's signature goals, both against England during the 1986 quarterfinal that seemed to perfectly encapsulate his legacy: the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century.Mexico will be trying to make history, while the Three Lions will be looking to free themselves from it in the round of 16 on Sunday, July 5.How Mexico got to round of 16Mexico is coming off of undoubtedly its most complete performance of the World Cup so far, and it came against its toughest opponent to date in Ecuador. It caught La Tri off guard by going on the attack from the opening whistle – a departure from coach Javier Aguirre's usual conservative style of play – and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half behind a brilliant performance by Julián Quiñones, who netted his third goal of the tournament and later got an assist on a goal by Raúl Jiménez.By the time the second half rolled around, all El Tri had to do was park the bus and force Ecuador to beat them, which it was unable to do.It was the fourth consecutive clean sheet for Mexico, which is one of two teams remaining in the final 16 with a perfect defensive record. Spain is the other.Mexico's convincing win over Ecuador was important because it showed that El Tri could not just hold their own, but assert themselves and dominate a squad that can be considered more talented than them. Ecuador entered the World Cup as the No. 2-ranked team out of South America.How England got to round of 16For all the expectations surrounding the Three Lions, their results on the pitch have been somewhat of a mixed bag. They opened the World Cup with a 4-2 win over Croatia behind two Harry Kane goals and seemed every bit the contender they've been billed. But England followed that with a 0-0 draw against Ghana, and things seemed to be going that way in their Group L finale against Panama as well after a scoreless first half. But Jude Bellingham broke through in the 62nd minute and Kane followed it up five minutes later to secure a 2-0 win and first place in their group.England once again looked to be on the verge of disaster in the round of 32 after DR Congo's Brian Cipenga scored the opening goal in the seventh minute to put the pressure on the Three Lions. It wasn't until the 75th minute, when Kane got the equalizer, that things began to slow down again. Then, with just four minutes to go, Kane got the winner to go.Mexico vs England World Cup matchupThis is nothing short of a blockbuster matchup, and it has the potential to be one of the most consequential matches in the history of both squads.Mexico has not advanced past the round of 16 since 1986, the last time it hosted a World Cup. It has already made history at several points throughout this run and genuinely seem to be united in its steadfast belief that it can play with anybody. After all, it has the home crowd and the altitude on its side; two big advantages that England manager Thomas Tuchel has already admitted to being conscious of in the days leading up to its arrival.The Three Lions, on the other hand, will be returning to the site of one of the plays that will forever haunt their fan base – Diego Maradona's Hand of God in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal.While England has found limited, if any, success at Estadio Azteca in their six matches played there, Mexico is the opposite. In 89 matches played at their home stadium, El Tri has only lost twice and has never lost a World Cup game at El Azteca. Mexico also has not lost there since 2013, though England will be the best team it has faced in that span by a fair margin.Tactically and talent-wise, England is the stronger team. However, its back line has struggled, which could lead to some opportunities for someone like Quiñones or Jiménez to break through.Mexico has every reason to lose this match, but it has just enough going for it right now that it might be able to pull off the unthinkable and close Estadio Azteca's chapter at this World Cup with an unforgettable night.
