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Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory as first-half goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-0 win over Ecuador on Tuesday, sending the co-hosts into the last 16 amid euphoric scenes at a rocking Azteca Stadium.
The victory was Mexico’s first in the knockout stages of a World Cup since beating Bulgaria on home soil in 1986 and booked a meeting with either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 16, with the co-hosts returning to the Azteca for the stadium’s final match of the tournament.
Kickoff was delayed by an hour due to thunderstorms but the weather did little to dampen an atmosphere that surpassed even Mexico’s tournament opener, with over 80,000 fans turning the venue into a sea of green long before the opening whistle.
Mexico fed off that energy from the outset and nearly took an early lead when Raul Jimenez peeled away to meet Luis Romo’s inviting cross, only to stoop a header narrowly wide.
Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory as first-half goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-0 win over Ecuador on Tuesday, sending the co-hosts into the last 16 amid euphoric scenes at a rocking Azteca Stadium.
Soccer
The victory was Mexico’s first in the knockout stages of a World Cup since beating Bulgaria on home soil in 1986 and booked a meeting with either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 16, with the co-hosts returning to the Azteca for the stadium’s final match of the tournament.
Kickoff was delayed by an hour due to thunderstorms but the weather did little to dampen an atmosphere that surpassed even Mexico’s tournament opener, with over 80,000 fans turning the venue into a sea of green long before the opening whistle.
Mexico fed off that energy from the outset and nearly took an early lead when Raul Jimenez peeled away to meet Luis Romo’s inviting cross, only to stoop a header narrowly wide.