Thomas Tuchel’s passionate England plea ahead of Azteca showdown vs Mexico
Thomas Tuchel, the manager of the England football team, has issued a plea to parents ahead of their next match against Mexico, though government officials are having none of it.
The Three Lions defeated Dr Congo on Wednesday (July 1) to book a place in the round of 16 and will now face co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City next.
For English soccer fans, the kick-off time is rather inconvenient as the action will be getting underway at 1am on Monday.
With the possibility of the match going into extra-time and even the dreaded penalties, there's a chance the game may not finish until 4am.
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And with kids in school just a few hours later, watching the game is not going to be possible for many.
Speaking after England's win against Dr Congo, Tuchel called for parents to let their children watch the sporting action and 'write an excuse' for school the next day.
He said: "Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch.
“There will be a big, big match on in four days and we need the support of everyone, and especially of the children.”
The UK government has since said children 'should be in school on Monday', dismissing the idea kids could skip school so they can watch the game.
A No 10 spokesperson said: "Obviously parents can make their own decisions and i think the minister for skills put it well when she said she'd be having a disco nap. we want everyone to enjoy the game but children should be in school on Monday.
"Parents can make their own mind up but we want everyone to enjoy the game, that includes children. But they should be in school on Monday."
Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith appeared on LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, where she said children may miss out on important learning if they go through with Tuchel's World Cup plea.
She said: “I don’t want to be a killjoy here, but I’ll tell you what the biggest killjoy is – young people who then don’t have the learning to be able to go on and do what they need to do in life.
"I quite understand if people want to watch the match, including young people, I will be.
“I’ll be having a little disco nap in the afternoon and I’ll be celebrating our victory the next morning when I go into work, looking obviously as fresh as a daisy."
How much does it cost to attend the World Cup?
Soccer fans wanting to watch the games in person better have deep pockets. Here’s what accommodation, tickets and food and drink will cost:
Hotel costs
NBC has crunched the numbers on hotels, looking at the average for the five cheapest hotels within 15 miles of the station as of late last month.
Anyone who booked a hotel to catch the US’ opening game against Paraguay on June 12 paid around $710 for a two-night hotel stay in Los Angeles.
Fans wanting to catch their match against Turkey on June 25 will pay a similar price.
Now to get your ticket for the game…
Ticket prices
Tickets for the opening game against Paraguay went from around $646, via Seatpick.
To watch the game against Australia or Turkey, tickets sold from $640.
I bet all that number crunching has made you thirsty…
Food and drink prices at the World Cup
Prices at a warm-up match between England and New Zealand at the Raymond James stadium in Tampa, Florida on 6 June gave an indication of what to expect in the World Cup proper, which is bad news for fans.
A large beer was advertised at $18.75, while just a bottle of water was priced at $7.50.
Meanwhile, according to Football Ground Guide, a basic meal and a beer will set you back $32.24 at the Los Angeles, or SoFi, Stadium, where the USA’s first and third games of the group stage will take place.
Meanwhile, the same at Lumen Field, Seattle, where the US played Australia, cost $26.88.
Callum Jones