Despite R16 Loss, Mexico Fans Party it up at The Pointe
England overcame the most hostile of road environments in its 3-2 victory over Mexico in the Round of 16 at the Estadio Azteca. The hosts may have ultimately lost the match, but they certainly gave a good account of themselves against what was ultimately a more talented side in one of the biggest matches in Mexican history.
With the magnitude of the match in mind, Mexican fans piled into The Pointe in Orlando to watch El Tri face the Three Lions and take in the iconic moment.
What followed was one of the best watch party atmospheres I’ve experienced so far on this World Cup journey, as the togetherness and camaraderie of the green-clad fans through the ups and downs of the match were truly sights to behold.
One thing that can always be expected when Mexican supporters gather to watch their national side, or even their club sides, play is plenty of singing and dancing. That was evident for this evening’s occasion hours before kickoff.
That kickoff was delayed until 9 PM EST due to inclement weather in Mexico City, but that did little if anything to dampen the spirits of the crowd both at the Azteca and in Orlando. If anything, it allowed for the emotions and anticipation to build to even higher levels.
When the match finally did begin, the Orlando crowd was whipped into a frenzy following the national anthems and reached a mild crescendo when star striker Raul Jiminez almost snuck a goal past England Keeper Jordan Pickford in the 15th minute.
What shortly followed, however, was perhaps the worst-case scenario for El Tri, as in the span of just three minutes Jude Bellingham found the back of the net twice to put Mexico in a 2-0 hole just under 40 minutes into the match.
Despite the stunned disbelief of the crowd, they rebounded quickly. Just a few minutes later, Julián Quiñones, perhaps the biggest star of the tournament for El Tri, was able to smash home a rebound off a free kick over a diving Pickford to send Mexican fans everywhere into hysterics.
The absolute eruption from the fans in Orlando completely changed the atmosphere of the watch party and sent them into the halftime break with some renewed hope.
Momentum seemed to swing even more in Mexico’s favor shortly after halftime. Jarell Quansah was issued a red card in the 54th minute after a reckless cleats-up sliding tacking directly into Jesús Gallardo.
But just as quickly as it seemed El Tri were truly on the comeback trail, just three minutes later Harry Kane was taken down in the box by Mexico keeper Raúl Rangel resulting in a penalty to England.
Kane buried the ensuing attempt from the spot to regain England’s two-goal advantage in what was an absolute backbreaking moment for the home side.
Jiminez answered back with a penalty of his own in the 69th minute which restored some life into the crowd and some hope that the match might yet see another round of twists and turns.
From there, however, England clamped down defensively, as the pressure of the home crowd likely mounted on the Mexican players with every passing minute.
Mexico, it should be noted, were able to see a lot more of the ball than they had likely expected, holding 66% of possession for the entirety of the match, but as has been a common theme throughout this World Cup, possession has had little correlation to overall team success.
England proved to be more efficient and deadly with the chances they made for themselves, and simply were the team more comfortable when they didn’t have the ball, and in such a hostile environment, it ultimately served them well.
With the gutsy victory, England advanced to the Quarter-finals to take on Norway in Miami, while Mexico fans mourned their team’s heroic, but futile effort.
Just after the final whistle one fan simply looked up with tears in her eyes and said that she was just proud of the unity and togetherness that both her team and the fans on hand had displayed all evening.
That was certainly something that, even to a neutral observer, was evident from hours before the match to its disappointing conclusion at the Orlando watch party.
Win or lose, the Mexican fans truly felt like a collective, and in that regard it really bummed me out personally to see them eliminated and to see them come up just short in such a monumental moment in their nation’s football history.
That said, it wasn’t all doom and gloom leaving the event, as one fan showed through a little rebellious fun, that Mexico might be going home, but they could still do it in style.