MEXICO CITY – The World Cup match between Mexico and England on Sunday will remain at the original scheduled time despite concerns about a potential afternoon thunderstorm.
FIFA had been looking at the possibility of starting the round of 16 game at the Azteca Stadium earlier than the scheduled 6 p.m. local time (8 p.m. EDT), a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
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The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
But a Mexican federation official told the AP that after deliberation FIFA decided the match would remain unchanged.
That person also spoke on condition on anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.
Among the reasons for exploring the change was because of possible disruption caused by flooding.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre criticized the proposed change earlier Friday.
“It’s a kick in the gut; now we must change everything. It’s not that all the work goes down the drain — though it’s close — because you’re having to scrap six hours of scheduled planning. I don’t like it at all,” Aguirre told Radio Formula. “Obviously, we’ll abide by what FIFA says, but neither my players nor I are happy about it.”
Rescheduling the match also could have affected England’s preparations. The Three Lions are scheduled to arrive late Friday and will hold their Saturday training session at the grounds of UNAM Pumas in the southern part of the capital, leaving them with significantly less time to acclimate to Mexico City’s high elevation.
The Azteca Stadium sits at more than 7,300 feet (2,200 meters) above sea level. For elite athletes to perform at their peak at high altitude, a period of adaption is required to reduce fatigue caused by lower atmospheric pressure and reduced oxygen availability, experts say. Sports scientists generally recommend an extended acclimation period of at least two weeks, or the “fly-in, fly-out” method of arriving as close to game time as possible before acute symptoms set in.
England coach Thomas Tuchel has already spoken about the difficulties his team faces in Mexico City.
“My understanding is that we cannot adapt to the altitude. That is just a huge advantage that Mexico will have,” Tuchel said this week. “It just takes too much time.”
The game will be Mexico City's fifth and final match of this year's World Cup.
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