Mexico is officially moving on, and they’re doing it at home. With a 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday, El Tri has secured its spot at the top of Group A, becoming the first team to clinch a berth in the World Cup knockout round.
The first half was pretty listless for both teams, with only three shots for Mexico and none for South Korea to keep it scoreless heading into halftime. Things were dull enough that the Mexican fans booed their team as it headed into the locker room in response to the fruitless half.
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Oddly enough, that seems to have worked: Mexico came out with renewed vigor for the second half, and broke through with a goal in the 50th minute.
The goal was helped by a costly mistake from Korean keeper Kim Seung-gyu, who jumped to catch the ball but got tangled up with his own player, losing his grip. That failure to secure the ball led it to land at the feet of Luis Romo, who sent it into the wide-open net.
Both South Korea and Mexico kept pushing for the rest of the half. Kim made up for his earlier mistakes with three great saves to keep Mexico from adding any more goals, while the Koreans picked up a few great chances, but couldn’t find the equalizer.
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But Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel kept the shutout alive with a number of saves, including a miraculous double save in the 87th minute.
The victory secures the top of the Group A standings for Mexico, ensuring an appearance in the Round of 32. The first-place position would also mean that El Tri will get to play knockout games in Mexico.
South Korea, who faces South Africa in the final group stage match, can still guarantee a second-place finish with a win or draw in that game.
