Analysis— 5 min read
Mexico have never before won all three of their group stage matches at a World Cup. On June 24 at the Estadio Azteca, in front of a raucous 80,000-strong crowd that shook the iconic old ground, they did exactly that — routing the Czech Republic 3-0 to finish Group A with a perfect nine points.
Mateo Chavez gave them the lead in the 55th minute and Julian Quinones, who opened the tournament with the first goal against South Africa on opening night, extended it six minutes later by exploiting disarray in the Czech defence. Alvaro Fidalgo completed the rout four minutes into added time, smashing home a cross to send the Azteca wild.
But the moment that will be remembered longest from the evening came with the game already won. In the second half, with the result secured and the crowd on their feet, Mexico brought on goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa. The 41-year-old veteran, playing at his sixth consecutive World Cup — a national record — replaced regular starter Luis Malagon to a standing ovation from every Mexican inside the stadium.
Ochoa's appearance confirmed what many had hoped: that El Tri's legendary keeper would get at least one last moment on the World Cup stage, even if only as a substitute. He made one comfortable save in the time he was on, and the crowd treated it as though he'd kept out a Messi penalty.
Mexico now meet the round of 32 at the Azteca on June 30, with all the weight of a host nation still chasing the elusive quarter-final that has eluded them at every World Cup since 1986. They have the squad, the crowd and now the momentum. The curse, as it is called in Mexico, waits for no one.