England’s unbelievable night at the Azteca: World Cup Daily

Max Rushden· Host0:00

This is The Guardian. [upbeat music] [exhales] Hello, and welcome to The Guardian Football Weekly. Were you applauding offsides, cheering goal kicks? Lord knows what it was like at five to 4:00 in the morning. The board went up for 11 minutes, 11 consequent walk. Jed Spence on the floor spooning it clear. Dan Burn heading the ball into the opposition half. How were you when John Stones rolled it inches wide? Has there been a more exhausting half an hour watching England? Harry Kane couldn't even talk. There was a game before that game. Mexico went close. Pickford brilliant, and then Jude Bellingham and Bellingham again. Was this gonna be easy? No. Quiñones, brilliant volley. Bellingham, one goal saving clearance. Halftime, nothing silly first five, and then Jarell Quansah dived in. He'd been excellent. His leg rolled over the ball and into the Mexican shin. It was a red. Panic. But then Gordon felled in the box. Harry Kane nervous. It would all be okay. But then VAR, conspicuously absent for the last couple of weeks, noticed Harry Kane's errant kick. Penalty, Raul Jimenez doesn't miss them, and then the panic. They all crumpled at the final whistle. Breathe in that altitude, an unforgettable football match. There is balance here. Not everyone supports England. Don't worry. Before that, Erling Haaland sunk Brazil. One header and one wallop, but truly historic, the biggest day in Norwegian football. We'll get Lars' thoughts on that. And then there's Florian Ballagan's red card, suspended ahead of the US game with Belgium. Purely coincidental that Trump called Gianni to ask for that to happen.