In the end, Harry Kane might have lost his voice, but England stood there unconquered, adding a delightfully fresh vibe to their soundscape.The cauldron of the Azteca and thunder in the skies — which led to a one-hour delay to the kick-off — made it look like a mythical spectacle. As if more than a football match, it was a realm between living in a painful past and awakening the inner giant.England — having to adjust to the high altitude of the venue, a Mexico side unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches and playing over 45 minutes a man down after Jarell Quansah’s red card — delivered a statement bold and boisterous. A 3-2 win, embellished with a Jude Bellingham brace and a Harry Kane penalty, which took him to six goals in the competition, set out to tell a different story this time around, adequately presented with a passion and with a telling sense of transformation.That this England under Thomas Tuchel are a different beast, with Kane leading by example is resplendent with a new identity. That this England know how to handle the pressure, bury the Ghost of Maradona for good and write their own destiny.“I am just proud of the mentality and attitude, (these are) the moments in the tournament when you find a way to win. We did it with pure mentality and heart,” Tuchel said after setting up a quarterfinal with Norway.It’s a point of view we haven’t much seen across the surfeit of England performances in the past. It’s now coming out in the open with a remarkably and refreshingly new look.If Kane staged the team’s come-from-behind win against DR Congo last week, it was Bellingham who provided the sparks against Mexico, scoring two and shaping the game right till the end.“This is probably one of the biggest England wins in a while, probably the biggest one I can remember as a fan or player,” Bellingham later remarked, “The best night of my England career.”Tuchel had dropped Bellingham from the squad eight months ago. But the Real Madrid star has now returned like a man on a mission.Fate, virtue, sacrifice and self-belief came together in England’s game, highlighting new-found ability to transform their past stumbles in similar situations into a searching existential need.And if such a shift in mentality may look a foreign concept, its genesis could well be found outside England. Tuchel being a German in the dugout is the focal point of this ‘foreign’ makeover. Add to this Kane’s bravery in leaving the Premier League and scaling new heights in the Bundesliga as a Bayern Munich player as well as Bellingham’s art of learning the tricks as a streetfighter on the hallowed grass of the Santiago Bernabeu in Spain.Take, for example, the team’s reaction after the red card to Quansah. In England’s World Cup history, a sendingoff is usually viewed as a harbinger of doom. How their fight in the Round of 16 against Argentina went in vain in 1998 after David Beckham’s red-card is well documented. Wayne Rooney’s expulsion in the 2006 quarterfinal against Portugal followed a similar script as England bit the dust in another penalty shootout.Quansah’s exit must have brought back a few twin echoes, with its usual moments of doubt, when Mexico launched a relentless attack over the final half hour, including 11 minutes of stoppage time.
England vs Mexico scorecard
This was where England fought, truly grew as a team and found their voice. Tuchel switched to a defensive 5-3-1 and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford came up with a series of interceptions, further illuminating expansion of the team’s vivid and distinctive ‘foreign’ fighting mentality.This is the kind of match which generates belief and gives the team a sense of calm in the chaos, that one is ready for the rough ride against the odds.Is it coming home? This England, perhaps entering a new and more liberated stage of life, have belief to go the distance.
