England were greeted with boos from the local fans after arriving in Mexico City ahead of them FIFA World Cup round of 16 against co-hosts Mexico, after a delayed trip to keep their preparations out of the public eye.According to The Sun, England manager Thomas Tuchel and the Football Association have decided to keep the squad at their training base in Kansas City for as long as possible before traveling to Mexico City. The move was made to prevent rival teams from watching England practice before the knockout game.The report stated that England had delayed their arrival to prevent “spies” from observing their preparations.Security around the England camp has also been stepped up, with police and security guards monitoring the team base. Tuchel wants his players to adapt to the high-altitude conditions at the Azteca Stadium without revealing their tactical plans ahead of the game.Despite the precautions, England was greeted with hostility when they arrived at the hotel. Mexico fans gathered outside the team hotel, chanting “Mexico” and booing as the England team bus arrived ahead of the Round of 16 match.Security around the hotel has been stepped up following an incident involving Ecuador during the previous round.After Mexico’s Round of 16 match against Ecuador in Mexico City, Ecuador filed a noise complaint with FIFA. According to reports, local fans gathered outside the Ecuadorian hotel late at night, using loudspeakers, sirens and motorcycles to disrupt the players.Mexico won that game 2-0.Ecuador stayed at the Westin Hotel, and England wanted the location of their own hotel to remain undisclosed. However, there were concerns that the team’s location had been leaked.When the England team arrived on Friday (local time), hundreds of local fans were waiting outside. Some chanted “Mexico” while others whistled.According to the BBC, members of the Mexican National Guard were stationed at the entrance to the hotel in England, while officers in riot gear stood behind barriers outside the property.England arrived two days before the game because FIFA rules require teams in the knockout stages to hold a partially open training session in the host city the day before the game.The team’s preparations were also in jeopardy on Friday after reports emerged that FIFA was considering moving kick-off six hours earlier due to the forecast storm.The proposal was discussed less than 48 hours before the game, but both the Football Association and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) opposed the idea. The match will now be played at the originally scheduled time.England also want to address the conditions in Mexico City, which is located at around 2,240 meters above sea level. Higher altitude means less oxygen is available.
