How England coach Thomas Tuchel adjusted to the problem of altitude – and going down to 10 men

In the circumstances, England’s 3-2 win over Mexico at the Azteca must go down as their most famous World Cup victory since they won the competition in 1966.Granted, that is partly due to England’s general pattern over the last 60 years of beating the sides they are expected to beat, then being eliminated as soon as they come across serious opposition. But facing Mexico in Mexico City was an enormous test; given the altitude and the atmosphere, this was a particularly extreme case of home advantage. England’s primary task at the Azteca wasn’t about playing well, it was about surviving.With that in mind, Thomas Tuchel’s approach was a little different from previous games. In general, Elliott Anderson has sat deep in front of the defence on his own, with Declan Rice tasked with driving forward to the left, almost taking up a position alongside Jude Bellingham, as two attacking midfielders behind Harry Kane.But opponents had worked this out, and were finding it relatively simple to stop England’s build-up play. “We wanted to shut down the centre better, to cut off the path to Anderson, who is very important to building the game,” said DR Congo manager Sebastien Desabre after his side had caused England serious problems in an eventual 2-1 defeat.But in the Azteca, Anderson and Rice played as more of a duo, looking to receive passes from defence. Mexico tried to man-mark in that zone, but England rotated efficiently. They didn’t always progress the ball well, but they were at least less predictable — and less exposed to quick attacks if passing moves did break down.But the real reason England weren’t exposed to counter-attacks is that they didn’t have many sustained attacks of their own. In light of the altitude problem, England slowed the play down, took their time at throw-ins and free-kicks, and attacked with sudden bursts. Their best early moments came from a long Marc Guehi ball in behind for Bukayo Saka, who would have been through on goal with a better touch, and then an Anthony Gordon shot after a long ball from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.