MEXICO CITY — Mexico completed a perfect World Cup group stage for the first time in its history after defeating the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday to finish top of Group A with three victories from three matches.
Goals from Mateo Chávez, Julián Quiñones and Álvaro Fidalgo secured the win at a packed Estadio Azteca and extended El Tri’s unbeaten run at the tournament.
The victory marked the first time Mexico has won all three matches in a World Cup group stage. Its previous best performances came in 1986 and 2002, when the team recorded two wins and a draw.
Coach Javier Aguirre, now in his third spell in charge of the national team, said his side is already focused on the knockout rounds.
“Now comes the knockout stage; statistics and data don’t matter,” Aguirre said. “We’re achieving things, but what lies ahead is what counts.”
Mexico finished atop Group A and will return to Estadio Azteca for its round-of-32 match next Tuesday.
Chávez, making his first World Cup appearance, opened the scoring in the 55th minute. The 22-year-old midfielder described the moment as the realization of a lifelong dream.
“It was something very beautiful, and I’ll take it with me to the grave,” Chávez said. “I imagined it many times; I dreamed of this.”
Quiñones doubled Mexico’s lead six minutes later with his second goal of the tournament before Fidalgo added a third in stoppage time.
The match also highlighted both the future and the history of Mexican football. Seventeen-year-old Gilberto Mora became the youngest player ever to start a World Cup match for Mexico, while veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made his sixth World Cup appearance after coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute.
Ochoa joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to feature in six World Cup tournaments.
“It’s like a dream come true after everything I’ve worked for,” Mora said. “We want to keep advancing because the Mexican national team can become champion.”
Mexico extended its unbeaten run to 11 matches and has now gone nine World Cup matches without defeat at Estadio Azteca.
Aguirre has also rotated his squad extensively, using 25 of his 26 players during the tournament.
“Twenty-five of the 26 have played,” he said. “That is no small detail.”
The victory was overshadowed late in the first half by the return of a homophobic chant from sections of the crowd, an issue that has previously led to sanctions against the Mexican Football Federation.
The Czech Republic finished bottom of Group A with one point and was eliminated from the tournament.
Source: Saudi Gazette