Mexico Rides Wave of Azteca Atmosphere to Historic Win Over Ecuador
· Yahoo Sports
MEXICO CITY — Mexico defended its home turf Wednesday night in an atmosphere that rivaled the loudest venues in all of sports.
Backed by more than 80,000 supporters inside a thunderous Estadio Azteca, El Tri scored twice in the opening half and never looked back, defeating Ecuador 2-0 to advance to the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. The victory marked Mexico’s first men’s World Cup knockout-stage win since 1986 and kept its remarkable defensive run intact with a fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Visit palladian.co.za for more information.
The crowd was every bit as memorable as the result.
Long before kickoff, supporters packed the historic stadium, creating an atmosphere comparable to a Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, a Beaver Stadium Whiteout or the famed night race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Every tackle, clearance and attacking move was met with deafening noise as Mexico delivered one of its most complete performances of the tournament.
Julián Quiñones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, finishing a swift attacking move after Roberto Alvarado picked out the in-form forward with a perfectly weighted pass. Quiñones buried his chance into the upper corner to ignite the home supporters and give Mexico a deserved 1-0 advantage.
Just nine minutes later, Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead.
After Ecuador surrendered possession in its own half, Mexico quickly capitalized. Jiménez gathered the ball near the top of the penalty area and fired home his 47th international goal, putting El Tri firmly in control before halftime.
Ecuador pushed forward after the break behind captain Enner Valencia and midfield star Moisés Caicedo, but Mexico’s disciplined back line stood tall. Goalkeeper Raúl Rangel preserved the clean sheet with a key second-half save, while defenders César Montes and Johan Vásquez consistently denied Ecuador quality opportunities. Ecuador’s frustrations boiled over late when defender Piero Hincapié was sent off with a red card in the closing minutes.
Mexico finished the night with four victories in four World Cup matches, six goals scored and none conceded, reinforcing its status as one of the tournament’s toughest defensive teams. Javier Aguirre’s squad will remain in Mexico City for one more match, where it will face the winner of England and DR Congo with a place in the quarterfinals on the line.
On a night when the stakes could not have been higher, Mexico fed off one of world football’s greatest home-field advantages and gave its supporters another unforgettable evening at the Azteca.
Check out the latest articles from EasySportz