MEXICO CITY (AP) — Dozens of Mexican fans gathered outside the venue despite a police blockade. england He stayed at the national team hotel until early Sunday morning, hoping to disrupt the players’ sleep before the game. world cup They will face co-host Mexico in the Round of 16.
Crowds gathered outside the JW Marriott Hotel in Santa Fe, west of Mexico City, armed with loudspeakers, horns and fireworks, doing their best to disrupt guests.
Earlier this week, “El Tri” supporters same tactics Before the crucial match against Ecuador, which Mexico won 2-0, the Ecuadorian Football Federation lodged a formal complaint with the organizers.
England manager Thomas Tuchel had expected the disruption but downplayed its potential impact.
“We have kick-off at 6pm (Sunday), so if we have missed a few hours of sleep we will make up for it in the middle of the night,” Tuchel said on Saturday.
These late-night hotel “serenades” have become an entrenched and polarizing tradition in Latin American football. While it first began as a passionate expression of support for the home team, it has increasingly evolved into a psychological weapon aimed at depriving opponents of sleep.
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