It may be the early hours on a Monday morning, but for England fans all thoughts of sleep lie at the end of a long, tense night.
England are facing their toughest test of the World Cup so far as they take on hosts Mexico at the fearsome Azteca. It’s the first time the Three Lions have returned to Latin America’s biggest stadium since being eliminated from the 1986 World Cup by Maradona’s Argentina, and the stakes are massive.
At the Clapham Grand in south west London, caffeinated and merry, hundreds of supporters have shrugged off bedtimes and reset their body clocks in order to support Thomas Tuchel’s side despite an even later than expected 2am kick-off. Speaking to The Independent, fans were in high spirits – even if they were expected in the office at 8am.
As news of the delays crept in, fans seemed to largely shrug it off. “It will mess up work tomorrow, but overall it’s not that bad,” Aaron Andrews said.
“We’re all drunk already. As long as the boys bring it home its fine.”
He predicted a 2-0 win for Tuchel’s side, conceding playing at altitude will be “tough” but that the squad should be “fit and ready”.
Taylor Jones, 25, and Amy Knight, 26, said they had no doubt England would get the job done and backed Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane to get on the scoresheet.
Much has been made of how England will cope with the altitude at Mexico City’s Azteca, which sits 7,220 feet (2,240m) above sea level. “The breathing thing is a problem,” Ms Jones admitted. “But I think we’ll get through it.”
And though both of them are expected in the office tomorrow, they said they think they’ll get by on just a couple of hours of sleep.
Annie Saunders, 30, and Becky Brown, 26, said they were “a bit worried” about England’s chances at the famously intimidating ground.
“I think it will go to penalties,” Ms Brown said. “I really hope we’re okay but I think it might.”
Others said they felt the impact of the altitude on England had been “a bit overhyped”. Connor Griffin, 30, predicted a 3-1 England win helped by Kane, Bellingham, and Eze.
