England survived a red card, altitude, and a partisan Azteca crowd to edge Mexico 3-2. Next up: Thomas Tuchel's side face Erling Haaland’s Norway in the quarter-finals. Photo: AFP
England have spent decades proving there is no script too cruel for them to follow at a major tournament. Penalty shoot-out heartbreak, controversial dismissals, injuries to star players, costly defensive lapses and the suffocating weight of expectation have become as much a part of their identity as the Three Lions on their shirts.
So, when they found themselves clinging to a narrow lead with 10 men against World Cup co-hosts Mexico in front of a partisan Azteca crowd, the familiar feeling returned. This was the sort of occasion previous England sides had too often allowed to slip away, with the label of chockers
Instead, they found another way.
England's dramatic 3-2 victory was hardly polished. There were two penalties, a red card, lengthy stoppage time and enough twists to satisfy even the most demanding neutral. Yet, when the final whistle sounded, it was England celebrating a place in the quarter-finals.
