It was the night when Thomas Tuchel turned doubters into believers. In the madness of the Azteca, England’s German coach ignored the noise about the altitude and took a breath when all around him were in danger of losing their heads.England tried so hard to knock themselves out of the World Cup. This was so nearly a repeat of previous gut-wrenching tournament exits. All the ingredients were there, from the typical loss of composure in possession when England were leading 2-0, to one unlucky youngster getting himself sent off for a stupid challenge early in the second half, and it would probably would have ended in the usual heartbreak without Tuchel’s interventions from the technical area.The Football Association could not have wished for a better demonstration of why Tuchel was chosen as Sir Gareth Southgate’s replacement in October 2024. This was an elite coach reacting to events and showcasing his tactical acumen under extreme pressure. This was Tuchel at his strategising best. He barely put a foot wrong from the start and came into his own when England lost Jarell Quansah to a red card after a video assistant referee review for a foul on Jesús Gallardo in the 52nd minute.In the initial rejig Ezri Konsa moved into the cursed right-back slot vacated by Quansah, who had done well until that point, and John Stones stepped into central defence after replacing Bukayo Saka. At first, though, England did not sit back after going down to 10 men. They attacked again and swiftly went 3-1 up through a Harry Kane penalty, only for the captain to give Mexico renewed hope after his foul on Brian Gutiérrez allowed Raúl Jiménez to pull another goal back with a nerveless spot-kick with 21 minutes left.That was the moment when the game seemed to be slipping away from England. But when the hydration break followed Tuchel delivered key messages to his players and made the substitutions that ensured there was no way through for Mexico, even though the pressure was relentless and the tension unbearable during more than 11 minutes of added time.It was a defensive masterclass from Tuchel. Realising that England were exhausted and needed to conserve energy, he decided it was time to switch to a back five. He brought on Djed Spence for a limping Nico O’Reilly at left-wingback and added an extra bolt in central defence by replacing Elliot Anderson with Dan Burn.Dan Burn produced a towering display on his World Cup debut after coming off the bench. Photograph: Jam Media/Getty ImagesBurn produced a towering display on his World Cup debut, at one point meeting one cross with a header so powerful it flew into Mexico’s half. Stones and Marc Guéhi were also exceptional in the middle, and Jordan Pickford commanded his area and had perhaps his greatest game for England. Mexico were simply not allowed through. The hosts were shoved from side to side and, but for the moment when Stones almost scored an own goal, were prevented from making their possession or territorial dominance count thanks to the discipline and desire of England’s defending.Perhaps this win will change the conversation around Tuchel. Some have sniped at him, questioned his selection choices, accused his talent identification of not being good enough. But when it comes to squad dynamics it is clear Tuchel has picked the right characters. His England have character and togetherness. They could have wilted against a frenetic Mexico, but they refused to roll over when the pendulum swung against them and will go into Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway knowing that their best chance of victory will be to follow their manager’s instructions to a T.Tuchel’s decisions were spot-on. His initial plan was smart. He sent England out to be controlled and streetwise, to slow the game at first, to douse Mexico’s fire. One little tactical flex was to swap his central midfielders around. Anderson shifted to the left to monitor the gifted Gilberto Mora. Rice was on the right, from where he protected Quansah during the early stages before shifting the mood with the 50-yard surge that led to England taking the lead.The one moment when the Arsenal connection clicked proved pivotal. Rice ignored the neural pain in a hamstring, overwhelmed Mexico with his sheer physicality and found Bukayo Saka, who justified Tuchel’s starting him by reaching the byline and crossing for Bellingham to head England in front.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionSaka did not have a good game. He looked uncertain and unfit for long spells. He lost the ball on several occasions and gave away silly free-kicks. Yet Tuchel was right with both of his choices on the flanks. Saka’s quality told for the first goal and Anthony Gordon, full of confidence after making both of Kane’s goals against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32, had a fine game after replacing Marcus Rashford on the left.Gordon had the beating of Mexico’s right-back, Jorge Sánchez, and was involved when England doubled their lead, counterpressing in tandem with Anderson before Kane crossed for Bellingham to score again from close range.Anthony Gordon justified his inclusion, epitomising England’s work ethic and winning a penalty. Photograph: Charlotte Wilson/Getty ImagesEngland needed everyone to put in a shift. Gordon epitomised their work ethic. He won the decisive penalty for Kane, running through and drawing the foul from Raúl Rangel. But he also tracked back to provide extra cover on the left. Gordon stopped crosses, hacked clearances away and never stopped running. Tuchel could not have asked for more from him.It took a collective effort from England to dent Mexico’s daunting record at the Azteca. But it comes back to Tuchel. England have flirted with chaos throughout the World Cup. They have two world-class forwards but there are problems in a host of other positions. Some players are limping through games, others are struggling for consistency. Yet Tuchel offers clarity. He is cool, logical and smart. It is time to trust him.