BY JOSE FAUS, SPORTS WRITER
The final sound of the whistle cuts through the roar of a crowd anxious to see their team secure a spot in the next round. The agony of the game carried to exhaustion finds its closing in the most annoying sound for some, and equally welcomed signal for others. The shrill of the whistle cuts though the din of frenzied fans.
For some, the whistle is the signal for entry into the upper echelons, the quarterfinals bringing each team closer to the grand prize of world champion. Going into its game Sunday night against England, the Mexican national team fueled high aspirations as the team made a significant statement by winning its first four games without allowing a single score.
Mexico was fueling expectations that this team could do what so many have come close to doing and have not done since 1986 when the Mexican squad made the quarterfinals. Heading into Sunday night ‘s game the Mexican team cultivated the image of a rising, dogged and capable team.
The dismantling of a gifted Ecuador squad in the run of 32 fueled the belief that this Mexican team was a special team. And it was. Ecuador was no slouch, and its defensive prowess was a thing to be dealt with, and Mexico did it in the most tenacious and orchestrated ways. It was sharp in attack, relentless in defense, and nearly inexhaustible in stamina. The Ecuadorians were left gasping trying to understand how quickly the game had gotten out of hand.
Going into the game you could be forgiven for believing this was Mexico’s time. The English squad, composed of some of the best players in the world, faced the disadvantage of playing the high altitude of the iconic Azteca stadium. How would the English side deal with the effects. And from the start Mexico was aggressive looking to capitalize on its perceived advantage.
The funny thing about altitude is that athletes adjust. Once the initial shock of the thin air passes, the body regulates taking advantage of the athletes’ conditioning to find a way to mitigate. Not to discount its effects but athletes adjust well. It’s still a big home advantage and Mexico’s initial pressure had the English on skates. Raul Jimenez’s beautiful header to the corner post almost crossed the line but was pushed out by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, one of many stellar saves he made throughout the game.
The thing that makes futbol such an intense experience is the absence of prolific scoring which make every opportunity a nail-biting possibility. Tension builds with each passing moment. A missed pass or errant decision can suddenly materialize into a goal scoring opportunity that derails an opponent. That moment came for England in a flash of offensive brilliance that impacted Mexico’s hopes.
Jude Bellingham, arguably one of the best midfielders in the world evidenced by his starting role at Real Madrid, proved it again on the world’s biggest stage. Bellingham scored twice in the space of 98 seconds to knock the Mexicans’ momentum and change the course of the game. While Mexico rebounded after what for most teams would have been a devastating blow, they were forced to chase the game throughout.
Amid raucous shouts of “Si se puede,” the Mexican side halved the score before the half with a savage rebound from Julian Quiñones with time left on the clock. The Mexican side attacked repeatedly and nearly drew even if not for Pickford’s brilliant save of a Jimenez shot.
The start of the second half augured well for the Mexican side when at the 54th minute England’s Jarell Quansah was sent off with a red card after a cleats-high tackle of Jesus Gallardo. England was suddenly down to ten men and the Azteca crowd roared deliriously. The advantage of one man usually leads to scores in abundance. But the cruelty of the game reared up when four minutes later, Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Angel was penalized for a takedown of England’s Anthony Gordon.
England’s top scorer Harry Kane stepped forward and did what he has done time and again for England, score when the team needs it the most. The penalty kick should have demoralized the Mexican side but it did not falter, and the effort was rewarded when Kane became the first player since 1966 to concede and score a penalty in the same game. It was that insane of a game. Jimenez’s kick drew the Mexican side within one score of a tie.
But the futbol Gods are cruel. A tenacious wave-after-wave of Mexican attacks into the English side was met with stellar defense. Still, one felt it was only a matter of time before the Mexican side would equalize. Mexico was gallant in its play, the English side equally tenacious. If Jimenez’s first header had found the net instead of Pickford’s gloved hand, this game would have been a different game.
Sadly, the creativity and flash that brought Mexico to this moment dissolved in a blitz of repetitive swings from the side into the box in the hope that one goal would come out of the play. The English side held up, and the last gasp was extinguished by the shrill of the whistle cutting through the din of the fans tumultuous shouts.
Postscript: The shrill of the whistle just flooded Seattle stadium much to the disappointment of a spirited crowd encouraging the USA team’s charge to the quarterfinals. Sadly, the gravity of the moment was too much for the USA, who were unceremoniously shown the way out by a dominant Belgium team 4-1.
The USA side appeared disjointed and off pace on defense especially at the start, resulting in a quick score by Charles de Ketelaere in the ninth minute. The USA showed resilience and for a great amount of time pressed the issue leading to an equalizer in the 31st minute off a Malik Tillman free kick. The joy was short-lived as minutes later de Ketelaere scored his second goal taking the game to halftime 2-1 Belgium. Though the score was 2-1, the USA was chasing the game against a seasoned, more talented starting and supporting side.
All hope for a USA comeback was strangled after a bizarre misplay of the ball by USA goalkeeper Matt Freese who gifted a third goal to the Belgian Hans Vanaken. The scoring ended in stoppage time when iconic Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku scored his third goal off the bench in this World Cup.
The game was mired with controversy when prior to the start, FIFA announced that the red card suspension of USA forward Folarin Balogun had been lifted for the match. President Donald Trump admitted he had personally appealed to the FIFA leadership to overturn the suspension. The decision was soundly denounced by the Belgian team and indignation was the common sentiment across the futbol world. In the end, Balogun was not a factor, though it could be said it might have been motivation for the Belgians.
