FOOTBALL – MEXICO booked their place in the World Cup knockout stage as Group A winners and secured home advantage for the Round of 32 after Luis Romo’s second-half strike earned the tournament co-hosts a 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday.
The victory moved Javier Aguirre’s side onto six points from two matches and ensured their first knockout game would be played in Mexico City on June 30. They are the first team to qualify for the knockout stage.
Romo broke the deadlock three minutes after the restart, capitalising on a costly mistake by goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu.
The South Korea keeper spilled a cross after colliding with a teammate, allowing the Mexico midfielder a simple finish into an unguarded net from the centre of the box.
“It was a very close game; we didn’t give up a single centimetre and fought for every ball as if it were our last,” Aguirre told Mexican broadcaster TV Azteca.
“It was a game where whoever made a mistake would lose, and it was them... It was a game to forget, but the result is one to remember.”
The goal transformed the mood inside Guadalajara Stadium after an uninspiring first half that ended with sections of the home crowd booing the hosts off the pitch.
Mexico had started brightly but struggled to turn early possession into clear chances, with South Korea growing into the game.
Captain Edson Alvarez, deployed in central defence after Cesar Montes’ suspension, produced a spectacular overhead clearance off the goal line to deny Son Heung-min, although the South Korea captain was later flagged offside.
The Asian side finished the half stronger, controlling possession and unsettling a Mexico side that looked increasingly frustrated as the interval approached.
Romo’s goal moments after the restart lifted both Mexico and the crowd, with supporters breaking into renditions of Mexican folk song “Cielito Lindo” (“Lovely Sweetheart”) as Aguirre’s side seized control of a match that had threatened to drift away from them.
Mexico nearly doubled their advantage midway through the second half when Raul Jimenez controlled a pass from Julian Quinones before firing a half-volley from close range, only for Kim to produce an outstanding save.
The South Korea goalkeeper made another excellent stop to deny substitute Obed Vargas, diving low to push away a powerful long-range effort.
South Korea threw numbers forward in search of an equaliser and came agonisingly close in the closing stages, but goalkeeper Raul Rangel preserved Mexico’s lead with a remarkable double save from point-blank range.
Rangel first blocked a close-range effort with his foot before scrambling across his line to keep out the rebound.
Mexico withstood wave after wave of South Korean pressure in a tense finish to secure their second straight win and become the first team to qualify for the knockout stage, where they will face a third-placed team.
The result also gave Mexico their first World Cup group-stage victory on home soil outside Mexico City and secured their first top-place finish in a World Cup group since 2002, when Aguirre was also in charge.
Aguirre’s side will close out the group phase against Czech Republic, while South Korea can still secure progression when they face South Africa on Wednesday.
“We were patient, not passive. It’s not easy, we’re seeing some very close matches,” Aguirre added.
Aguirre played down his team’s achievement of topping the group, saying the real measure of success would come later in the tournament.
“I didn’t know that statistic,” Aguirre, who is coaching Mexico at a third World Cup, told reporters. “It’s anecdotal. It was anecdotal in 2002 and it’s anecdotal now because what matters in the end is the final position.”
The result guarantees Mexico at least one knockout-stage match in Mexico City, a prospect Aguirre welcomed as his side seek to build momentum in front of home support.
“There’s nothing like playing at home, it’s priceless,” he said. “The Mexico factor is hugely important.”
Mexico delivered a nervy performance in their tournament opener against South Africa but Aguirre said his players had learned valuable lessons from that match.
“Today we learned from our mistakes,” he said. “We weren’t spectacular, but we played a good match. That speaks to the team’s maturity. We were much more patient.”
Asked what set this squad apart from previous Mexican teams he had managed, the 67-year-old said with a smile: “(This team) has a calmer coach.”
He also joked that he had stopped fighting battles over players using mobile phones and had become less rigid than the intense manager who led Mexico in 2002 and 2010.
“I’m much more relaxed and composed now,” he said. “Age helps. Two granddaughters help.”
&uuid=(email))