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Mexico 1-0 South Korea (FT)
Mexico capitalized on a goalkeeping error by South Korea, and Luis Romo scored the winning goal of the game!
Mexico secured the top spot in Group A in a cagey 1-0 win over South Korea at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara in World Cup action on Thursday.
Both teams played a tight game through the first 45 minutes of play, living up to the high-stakes scenario heading into the game. Earlier in the day, Czechia and South Africa played to a 1-1 draw, setting up a winner-takes-first scenario between Mexico and South Korea.
After trading stretches of possession and cautious spells of momentum, the deadlock broke open early in the second half with the game-winner by Luis Romo, who took advantage of a goalkeeper blunder.
With the victory, Mexico not only avoided the drama of a group-stage decider but officially clinched a place in the knockout rounds as Group A winners, setting up a favorable path as the tournament moves into the next phase, meaning they will play the round of 32 and potentially the round of 16 at the Estadio Azteca.
Starting lineup rotations pay off for Mexico
Heading into the match, manager Javier Aguirre and his staff already had to make an adjustment to the lineup without starting centerback Cesar Montes. The defender was unavailable due to a red card suspension from the match against South Africa, and it was assumed that Edson Alvarez would slot into his place.
However, it wasn't just a simple solution. Alvarez is working his way back from an ankle injury and only recently began building minutes ahead of the World Cup. The tactical prep for South Korea would be different from that for South Africa or Czechia. There were more lineup changes outside of Alvarez; Aguirre opted for Jorge Sanchez in for Israel Reyes and Luis Romo for Alvaro Fidalgo.
Romo himself was the beneficiary of the lineup tweaks, being tasked with a more advanced role to try and disrupt some of South Korea's early mid-block. Romo and most of Mexico's midfield struggled initially, and at times the group tried bypassing South Korea's midfield altogether with a classic long ball, but the decision to rotate the starting lineup, rather than stick with a settled squad, was a gamble that was worth it.
It's a refreshing reminder that a willingness to prioritize matchup advantages over continuity is part of Aguirre's DNA this third time around as El Tri's head coach.
"Throughout my thousands of games as coach, I've always tried to have my team outplay the other team and help my players develop, and when my rivals are better, I've recognized that. When I've made mistakes, I've recognized that, and then my conscience is clear," Aguirre said about his own growth between tournaments after the press conference.
"I can tell you very proudly that this is my 30th year as a manager, and they've fired me from different teams, and I've learned from my mistakes, because they fired me, and I can also tell you very proudly that I am here, that I am still working, and that I am much more serene now that that is true. I mean, I am 67 years old. I have two granddaughters, that helps, of course," he joked.
Rangel stakes his place between the posts
While highlight reels will likely fawn over Romo's goal, Mexico's night was just as defined by goalkeeping. In the second half, and down a goal, South Korea pushed hard for an equalizer, pinning Mexico in their own half and creating dangerous moments.
Mexico's goalkeeper Raul Rangel officially introduced himself to international audiences by making a string of big saves to secure the win.
Earlier in the year, Rangel was part of Mexico's goalkeeper core, but not necessarily considered the starter; that honor belonged at one point to Luis Angel Malagon, Club America's goalkeeper, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in March and ended his tournament hopes.
Rangel split reps with Carlos Acevedo, and eventually, Memo Ochoa was called in as a veteran reinforcement. Now he's etched his name into Mexico's World Cup lore. Solid club play with Chivas led him back to Guadalajara, only this time on an international stage, and produced an epic moment as important as a game-winning goal.
Winning tournament football
Sometimes winning the match in an ugly way is just a reminder that tournament football is a marathon with hurdles. In Mexico's case, sometimes the hurdles are red cards or a stifling pragmatic half of soccer. But for the first time since 2002, Mexico have won their World Cup group through determination and trust amongst each other.
"In the world of football, you just need to flip the page. You cannot assume that things are great, because the next match against Czechia is quite complicated, and we also need to find out who the subsequent rival will be, and we need to send out our analysts to the matches to start scouting," Aguirre explained on Mexico's future knockout round.
Mexico's own cautious play cannot be mistaken for a lack of ambition. They're a balanced group of players, from veterans to next-gen talents, that we are watching build a fire with a slow burn with a head coach who has been on this island before.
"I believe that the fact that we were number one back in 2002 [even though Mexico was officially ranked seventh at the time] and this time around is just an anecdote. Because what matters today is that back in Japan we were number 11, and this time around we're ranked as 13th by FIFA, but I want to tell my players that we can sneak our way through to be part of the top 10 of the world," Aguirre said.
If Aguirre and the group want to believe they are better than a ranking in this World Cup, then managing the tension, making the adjustments count, and keeping their composure in the closing minutes is a good start.
What's next
Mexico will face Czechia on Wednesday at Estadio Azteca. The squad will then look ahead to their round of 32 opponent on June 30.
