MEXICO CITY (AP) – Coach Javier Aguirre has said for some time now that family is the key to Mexico’s World Cup success. This family seems to be on a historical journey.
Mateo Chavez and Julián Quiñones scored in the first six minutes of the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday, winning all three games. world cup First group stage match.
Chavez, 22, playing in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th minute, followed by Quiñones’ second goal of the tournament in the 61st minute. Alvaro Fidalgo added another goal in stoppage time.
“It was a beautiful thing. I’ll take it to my grave,” Chavez said of his goal. “I imagined it many times, I dreamed about it.”
Mexico’s previous best results in the group stages were two wins and one draw in 1986 and 2002, both with Javier Aguirre, first as a midfielder and second as manager of El Tri. Aguirre will return as coach this year, marking his third time leading the national team.
Mexico, who advanced from Group A, will return to the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday in the Round of 32 with an opponent to be determined.
“This is the knockout stage. Statistics and data are not important. We are achieving our goals, but what is important is now,” Aguirre said. “My players and I don’t dwell on what we’ve done before, we’re thinking about what we’re going to do next.”
On Wednesday, in a huge stadium packed with 80,824 fans, Mexico ended their nine-game unbeaten World Cup run. El Tri has lost only twice to the Azteca, most recently against Honduras in a World Cup qualifier on September 6, 2013.
Wednesday’s game included nods to Mexico’s past and future. Gilberto MoraAt the age of 17, he became the youngest Mexican player to start in a World Cup. And 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa joined the Argentine squad, coming on in the 77th minute. lionel messi and of Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo As the only player to have appeared in six World Cups.
Mora said, “I feel like a dream has come true after everything I’ve worked so hard for.”
“We now have a formidable opponent in front of us,” he added. “We’re going to keep working hard to continue on this path. The Mexican national team can be champions, so we want to keep moving forward.”
However, Mexico’s victory was undermined by Mexico’s return. homophobic chant This behavior by fans has previously led to fines and other sanctions against the football federation. Near the end of the first half, Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick when a one-word slur could be heard.
The Czech Republic finished with one point from three games and was eliminated.
Mexico has remained unbeaten in 11 games since losing to Panama in a friendly last November. Coach Aguirre used 25 of the 26 players in this tournament, making the most of his roster. Chavez was one of the five starters who did not start in Wednesday’s win over South Korea last time out.
“Twenty-five out of 26 players played, and that’s not a small thing, and it’s not a small thing that everyone celebrates the goal,” Aguirre said.
Ochoa perhaps makes history in farewell match
Ochoa, who wears No. 13, played the final 13 minutes, including regulation time and stoppage time, in what is likely to be his last appearance for Mexico. He turns 41 on July 13 and plans to retire from international play after the World Cup.
“Life, football, had this farewell in store for me to complete everything perfectly. For me, I left everything there. I gave it my all,” Ochoa said. “I’m leaving with nothing because I gave everything to my team and the national team.”
He came on as a substitute in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments, and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
“The notes were (but) how long did I feel like I had to play? I didn’t know until I said, ‘This is the time,'” Aguirre said. “These are the coach’s decisions, but for Mexico it was a night to honor Memo, a legend.”
Raul Rangel is this year’s starter, replacing injured Luis Angel Malagon, who helped Mexico win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year. Malagon’s injury opened the door for Ochoa to return.
Ochoa became the oldest Mexican to play in a World Cup. The previous record holder was Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who was 37 years old when he played in South Africa in 2014.
After the game, the veteran goalkeeper kissed the goalpost, then knelt down and was hugged by the rest of the team.
“As for Memo’s appearance, I don’t know if he intends to say goodbye, but it was a great game to honor his six World Cup appearances,” Aguirre added. “He’s a legend — he’s Mexican.” ___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
