"El Tri" is in top form

LIVE: Mexico rewards its dominance with a 1-0 lead

The relief is palpable: Mexico wins the opening match of the “home World Cup” 2-0!(Bild: AP/Ricardo Mazalan)

It’s done—the starting whistle has blown, and the 23rd FIFA World Cup in history has kicked off at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in front of around 80,000 spectators with the match between co-host Mexico and South Africa! As expected, the hosts—ranked 14th in the FIFA World Rankings—easily defeated the 60th-ranked team and ultimately secured a well-deserved 2-0 victory. For the Mexicans, who had reached the quarterfinals in each of their two previous home World Cups, this was an important opening victory …

25 degrees Celsius, 50 percent humidity, hardly any wind—in terms of weather conditions, the stage was certainly set for a great afternoon of soccer for the teams from Mexico and South Africa, despite the somewhat unusual kickoff time of 1:06 p.m. (the opening ceremony and team photos took longer than expected), the conditions were certainly set for a great afternoon of soccer. All the more so from the Mexicans’ perspective, as they could rely on a veritable fan advantage in their legendary home arena and, moreover, on their familiarity with the thin air at 2,220 (!) meters above sea level.

The Mexico team(Bild: AP/Natacha Pisarenko)

The South African team(Bild: EPA/SASHENKA GUTIERREZ)

“Olé” chants even for simple two-meter passes
Set up by their head coach Javier Aguirre in an offensive 4-3-3 formation, the Mexicans immediately set out to show the South Africans who was boss from the moment Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio blew the whistle. The crowd, which was largely rooting for the home team, did its part to drive “El Tri” forward—and unsettle the South Africans: with loud “Olé” chants even for simple two-meter passes by Raúl Jiménez and company, as well as angry boos whenever the visitors had possession.

And the Mexicans’ ambitious start was quickly rewarded. After Fulham star Raúl Jiménez had been denied by “Bafana, bafana” goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in the 5th minute with a first-time shot off a half-height cross from right-back Israel Reyes, the breakthrough finally came three minutes later: Defender Yaya Sithole lost a pass from his goalkeeper to the pressing Erik Lira just outside his own penalty area; Lira immediately played it on to Julián Quiñones—who fired a powerful shot from 16 meters through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 1-0.

Expected goals value of 0.00 for South Africa
With the lead behind them, the Mexicans picked up where they had left off—with plenty of possession, plenty of momentum, and plenty of attacking drive. The South Africans, set up defensively by Hugo Broos in a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation and focused on counterattacks, at times couldn’t even cross the midfield line and looked clearly unsettled. Although they managed to launch the occasional half-hearted counterattack, Iqraam Rayners and Co. failed to pose any serious threat.

(Bild: AFP/RODRIGO OROPEZA)

After half an hour, their expected goals (xG) stood at 0.00. Only Mexico’s goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, in his few touches and actions, did not exactly give the impression that he could be a reliable last line of defense if the need arose. For instance, in the 22nd minute, he misjudged a high ball played deep but managed to punch it away just in time…

Still, the South Africans managed to keep Mexico from creating major chances for a long time, despite the defensive players’ all-too-frequent passivity; time and again forcing the home team into long-range shots or inaccurate crosses, which, however, usually posed no danger—or fell into the hands of goalkeeper Williams.

South Africa went into halftime down by one goal
From the 42nd minute on, however, things got dicey again: Raúl Jiménez managed to get a touch on a Fidalgo cross from the left half of the field, but once again Williams was unbeatable in the South African goal. Just seconds later, goal-scorer Quiñones took a shot from 14 meters out after a layoff from Brian Gutiérrez—and hit the post! With more luck than soccer sense, however, South Africa managed to hold on to a one-goal deficit going into halftime.

The fact that the score was still just 1-0 for Mexico five minutes after the restart seemed like a minor miracle from the perspective of “Bafana, bafana.” For a moment, their goalkeeper Williams appeared to be suddenly struck by color blindness when, completely unpressured, he pushed the ball past a teammate in a yellow-clad teammate and instead pushed it low into the feet of the green-clad Mexican Lira, who—likely out of sheer bewilderment—did NOT immediately score the 2-0 (46th minute). And shortly thereafter, Gutiérrez was fouled by Sithole at the very last moment just outside the South African penalty area as he was heading toward a goal. The logical consequence: the player partly responsible for the first goal conceded was sent off with the tournament’s first red card.

Raúl Jiménez(Bild: AFP/RODRIGO OROPEZA)

Raúl Jiménez seals the deal
It was a blessing in disguise for South Africa that Raúl Jiménez blasted the resulting free kick from just under 17 meters into the wall —but less fortunate for South Africa that the 25-year-old star of “El Tri” ended a roughly 15-minute lull in Mexico’s play with a bang. For once, Roberto Alvarado was completely unmarked on the right, which he used to deliver a cross that found Raúl Jiménez, left all alone at the far post—and he easily headed it in to make it 2-0 (67').

That was the decisive moment, without a doubt—for while the South Africans had already been weak offensively in the first half, there were virtually no serious attacks to be seen in the second half. It seemed that coach Broos’s men had nothing more in mind than preventing a debacle.

(Bild: AFP/YURI CORTEZ)

However, after Sithole’s red card, they did manage to get on the scoreboard at least one more time—though not with a goal, but with another sending-off. After a VAR review of a tackle, referee Sampaio ruled that substitute Themba Zwane of South Africa had made an active striking motion against Mexico’s Alvarado—and promptly showed the 26-year-old a red card.

Mexico also picks up a red card
The final word on a match that was entertaining to watch but not exactly top-tier? Not at all: In the 92nd minute, Mexico captain Cesar Montes also received a red card for a reckless tackle on Khuliso Mudau at the edge of the penalty area. He wasn’t the last man, but at least for referee Sampaio, the foul justified the sending-off.

(Bild: AFP/YURI CORTEZ)

With this dramatic turn of events, however, the match was finally over—the die was cast, the game was decided, the final whistle had blown—and Mexico had secured the much-desired opening victory...

The result:
Mexico – South Africa 2–0 (1–0)
Mexico City, Azteca Stadium, 80,824 spectators, referee Wilton Sampaio

Goals: 1 –0 (9') Julian Quinones, 2–0 (67') Raúl Jiménez

Red cards: Montes (92./professional foul) and Sithole (49./professional foul), Zwane (84./assault)

Yellow cards: Gutierrez and Mokoena, Sibisi

Mexico: Rangel – Reyes, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo – Lira (76. Alvares) – Alvarado, Gutierrez (66. Chavez), Fidalgo (66. Mora), Quinones (79. Vega) – Jimenez (76. Gonzalez)
South Africa: Williams – Mudau, Okon, Sibisi, Mbokazi, Modiba (76. Appollis) – Mokoena, Sithole, Adams (61. Zwane) – Foster (56. Mbatha), Rayners (76. Makgopa)