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It wasn’t pretty, distinguished by small different than its achromatic v lilac colour scheme, but Mexico became nan first broadside astatine nan 2026 World Cup to unafraid their spot successful nan knockout stage. If they and England some apical their groups, nan way is unfastened for an apocalyptic gathering astatine nan Azteca successful nan past 16. The mobility for Mexico and South Korea aft their opening wins was whether they had been bully aliases their opponents bad, and this offered a reasonably clear answer: neither is over-blessed pinch imaginative edge.
The only extremity came aft 50 minutes and was a gift from South Korea. Kim Seung-gyu, nan goalkeeper, came to declare a looping header, but did truthful complete nan apical of Lee Ki-hyuk, jarring his elbow connected nan defender’s caput and spilling nan shot for Luis Romo, who hooked successful his 5th world extremity connected his 64th appearance. Romo was 1 of 3 changes made from Mexico’s line-up for nan opener, coming successful for Álvaro Fidalgo arsenic Javier Aguirre resisted nan celebrated request to springiness a commencement to nan 17-year-old Gilberto Mora. A singular double prevention from Raúl Rangel successful nan closing minutes preserved nan lead arsenic he sewage down to parry Cho Gue-sung’s header and had nan halfway spot to twist and stitchery nan Hyun-jun’s sliced follow-up.
This was nan first clip Mexico had ever played a World Cup crippled successful Guadalajara, yet still location were a number of quiet spaces. It was thing for illustration arsenic quiet arsenic it had been successful South Korea’s triumph complete Czechia past week, but integrative seats were visible successful clear patches, peculiarly successful nan firm tier that runs information nan centre of this stadium for illustration nan pick successful a Victoria sponge.
This is not nan aged 71,000-capacity Estadio Jalisco, wherever Gordon Banks kept retired Pelé’s header successful 1970 and nan France guardant Bruno Bellone, successful whose plot Grace Kelly died, scored successful nan shoot-out successful nan 1986 quarter-final against Brazil pinch a punishment that deed nan station and bounced successful disconnected nan caput of nan goalkeeper Carlos. This alternatively is nan Estadio Akron, astir 15 miles westbound of nan Jalisco, which opened successful 2010. The extracurricular covered successful turf, it rises unshowily from a level plain to nan westbound of nan metropolis of Zapopan, which borders Guadalajara, for illustration nan benignant of venue an eager hobbit mightiness erect connected an business parkland connected nan fringes of nan Shire’s greenish belt.
Both sides lacked nan urgency of their opening fixtures, possibly arsenic a consequence of nan format. With a triumph already connected nan board, a tie arsenic bully arsenic secured their progress, unless some were to suffer their last group games and each 4 sides successful nan group ended connected 4 points. There was small consequence aliases escapade from either side. The crowd seemed broadly accepting – much diligent surely than nan fans astatine nan Azteca who, demanding more, had booed successful Mexico’s opening game erstwhile they led 1-0 against 10 men – but 8 minutes earlier half-time they excessively had had capable and an extended spell of South Korean passing provoked furious whistles. Not that it made overmuch difference.
South Korea and Mexico person a adjacent narration and, for nan first half astatine least, nan crippled was played successful that spirit. Work began connected a free waste and acquisition statement betwixt nan nations successful 2012; though that is yet to beryllium concluded, South Korea is now Mexico’s sixth-largest waste and acquisition partner globally. Korean migration to Mexico began successful 1905 erstwhile a vessel called nan Ilford brought 1,033 passengers crossed nan Pacific, nan mostly subsequently settling connected nan Yucatán Peninsular. There’s a Friendship Pavilion donated by nan South Korean authorities successful nan seniors plot successful Chapultepec Park successful Mexico City.
What sealed nan tone of goodwill, though, was what happened during nan 2018 World Cup, erstwhile South Korea, having already been eliminated, hit Germany 2-0 successful Kazan truthful that Mexico went done to nan past 16. Fans gathered extracurricular nan South Korean embassy successful Mexico City and, erstwhile nan ambassador came out, he was carried shoulder-high on nan thoroughfare by a crowd chanting, “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres Mexicano!” – “Korean, brother, now you’re Mexican!”
But friendliness goes only truthful far, and if a squad is going to coming a extremity connected a platter, arsenic Kim did, Mexico were ne'er going to cull nan gift. Kim did later make a good close-range artifact from Raúl Jiménez, but cipher is going to retrieve that.
South Korea’s preparations had been disrupted erstwhile video emerged of 2 people, assumed to beryllium journalists, making disparaging comments astir Son Heung-min’s abbreviated word of subject service. In protest, players refused to execute media duties 2 days earlier nan game. Son himself struggled again. He is only 33 but looks older, struggling to header pinch Mexico’s offside trap, and incapable to dislodge nan shot from betwixt his feet erstwhile a chance presented itself. He was substituted soon after.
A triumph against South Africa successful their last crippled would still return South Korea through, and a tie whitethorn beryllium enough, but it’s difficult to spot this constricted broadside going overmuch further. Mexico, meanwhile, whitethorn person won 2 retired of two, but truthful acold they’ve shown small beyond a functional competence.
