England were greeted with boos from local fans upon arriving in Mexico City ahead of the game. fifa world cup The round of 16 match against co-host Mexico had been postponed to prevent the public from seeing their preparations.According to The Sun, England coach Thomas Tuchel and the Football Association have opted to keep the team at their training base in Kansas City for as long as possible before heading to Mexico City. The move is to prevent rival teams from watching England train before the knockout rounds.Reports claim England delayed their arrival to prevent “spies” from observing their preparations.Security has also been stepped up around the England camp, with police and security staff monitoring the team’s base. Tuchel will hope his players can adapt to the high-altitude conditions at the Azteca Stadium but will not reveal his tactical plans before the game.Despite the precautions taken, the England team received a hostile welcome when they arrived at the hotel. As the England team bus arrived ahead of the last 16 tie, Mexican fans gathered outside the team hotel, chanting “Mexico” and booing.Security around the hotel has been increased following an incident involving Ecuador during the previous round.Ecuador lodged a noise complaint with FIFA following Mexico’s last-32 match against Ecuador in Mexico City. Local supporters reportedly gathered outside Ecuadorian hotels late at night and harassed players using loudspeakers, horns and motorcycles.Mexico ended up winning that game 2-0.Ecuador stayed at the Westin, while England preferred that the exact location of its hotel not be made public. However, there are concerns that the team’s location has been leaked.When the England team arrived on Friday (local time), hundreds of local supporters were waiting outside. Some chanted “Mexico” and others booed.According to the BBC, members of the Mexican National Guard were stationed at the entrance to the Hotel England, while police in riot gear stood behind a fence outside the hotel.The England team arrived two days before the game because FIFA regulations require teams in the knockout stages to hold a partially public training session in the host city the day before the game.Team preparations for Friday were also affected by reports that FIFA was considering moving kick-off six hours earlier due to forecasts of storms.The proposal was discussed less than 48 hours before the game, but both the federation and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) opposed the idea. The game will now proceed as scheduled.England also have to deal with Mexico City’s altitude of about 2,240 metres. Higher altitude means less oxygen available.
