Fifa is in discussions over moving the kick-off time of Mexico v England to earlier in day on Sunday due to risk of weather disruption including flooding and thunderstorms, a source has confirmed to the Guardian.
The round of 16 game at the Estadio Azteca was scheduled to start at 6pm local time (1am BST) but it could now be brought forward by six hours to midday local time (7pm BST).
Read more The Football Association is scrambling for clarity on the situation, the news of which broke just as Thomas Tuchel and his players finished their training session in Kansas City at around 1pm CDT. The governing body had no heads-up about the plan and learned of it through the media.
The FA is stunned that the move is under consideration so close to game day, partly for the potential impact on travelling England fans, some of whom have made plans to land in Mexico City on Sunday morning.
There will also be concerns that the notoriously poor air quality in Mexico City, to which England are not attuned, will be worse in the middle of the day. While the weather has been relatively cool the projected temperature at midday is 21 degrees. It may drop to 16 degrees by 7pm.
England are scheduled to fly from Kansas City to Mexico City on Friday afternoon so they can satisfy a Fifa request to train at a “venue-specific site” on the day before the game – in other words on Saturday.
View image in fullscreen Heavy rain caused Mexico’s game against Ecuador at the Azteca to be delayed by an hour. Photograph: DiaEsportivo/Action Plus/Shutterstock Mexico’s FA is understood to be similarly in the dark, but it is believed broadcasters have communicated that a switch to midday is likely. The co-hosts’ last 32 match against Ecuador earlier this week was delayed due to rain
France’s group stage game against Iraq in Philadelphia was another to be interrupted during the tournament, ultimately being held up for two hours because of thunderstorms. The Guardian understands that any decision to switch the England game would be informed by learnings from last year’s Club World Cup , where there were six major delays in the tournament’s 63 games.
Local sources suggest that Mexico City’s authorities may not be unhappy about the move, which would reduce the chances of overnight disturbances. The wild celebrations that followed their first knock-out win since 1986 continued long into the early hours, the Ecuador game having started at 8pm, and four people were killed in a crush.
When asked about the possibility of the game being moved the England midfielder Morgan Rogers said: “We’ll be ready regardless of the time. The earlier the better because you want to play. There is enough thinking about what is going to happen and the build-up – you just want to play the game. Getting that adrenaline out there will help us and get us going and playing. We’re looking forward to it whatever the time is. We’ll deal with it as best as possible. It’s another obstacle to get over.”
Marcus Rashford added: “I think for us it’s the same, how we prepare for the game, it has to be the same, we have to be focused, we have to be ready for anything. I think it’s one of the strengths of the group, everyone included, the players, the staff, we’re ready for whatever challenges get thrown at us. Obviously it’s not ideal but also it doesn’t matter.”
View image in fullscreen England’s staff have been preparing their players for whatever unexpected situation is thrown at them. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images Tuchel and his staff have been leaning into a military concept known as VUCA in their approach to the tournament. It stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity and essentially relates to the importance of being prepared for anything. The term was coined by the US Army War College in the early 1990s.
England intend to deal with whatever is thrown in front of them, with Tuchel’s assistant, Anthony Barry, having described the need for a “Bring it on” mentality in an interview last November. The kick-off time switch represents the acid test of England’s flexibility.
“The team that wins the World Cup will be the one that has this ‘Bring it on’ mentality,” Barry said. “It’s hot. Bring it on. We’ve got late flights. Bring it on. We play eight games, not seven. Bring it on. There’s a storm. Bring it on. We’ve got a flight with time difference. Bring it on. Bring it on. Bring it on.”
Sources: The Guardian
