 |
|
 |
||
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|||
MFA Agri Services River Hills - CLICK - MFA CONNECT Perryville, Farmington Bulk Plant, & Ste. Genevieve, MO.
|
|
Printable Page
06/24 22:43 CDT Mexico beats Czech Republic 3-0 to win all 3 World Cup
group-stage matches for 1st time
Mexico beats Czech Republic 3-0 to win all 3 World Cup group-stage matches for
1st time
By CARLOS RODRIGUEZ
AP Sports Writer
MEXICO CITY (AP) --- Mateo Chvez and Julin Quiones scored in a six-minute
span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on
Wednesday night to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the
first time.
The 22-year-old Chvez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th
minute and Quiones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st.
Alvaro Fidalgo added a goal in second-half stoppage time.
Mexico's previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, done
in 1986 and 2002 and both featuring Javier Aguirre, the first as a midfielder
and the second as El Tri's coach. Aguirre is back as coach this year, his third
stint leading the team.
Already the winner of Group A, Mexico will play again at Estadio Azteca on
Tuesday in a round-of-32 match against an opponent to be determined.
Mexico is undefeated at nine World Cup matches at the massive stadium, which
was packed with 80,824 fans on Wednesday. El Tri has only two losses at Azteca,
most recently in World Cup qualifying against Honduras on Sept. 6, 2013.
The match included nods to Mexico's past and future. Gilberto Mora, at age 17,
became the youngest Mexico player to start in a World Cup. And 40-year-old
goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa entered in the 77th minute, joining
Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players
to appear in six World Cups.
Mexico's triumph was marred, however, by the return of a homophobic chant by
fans that has previously led to fines and other sanctions against its soccer
federation. The chant, a one-word slur that literally means male prostitute in
Spanish, was heard near the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej
Kovar took a goal kick.
The Czech Republic was eliminated, finishing with one point in three games.
Mexico is unbeaten in 11 games dating to a friendly loss against Panama last
November. And Aguirre has made the most of his roster, using 25 of 26 players
in the tournament. Chvez was one of five starters Wednesday who did not start
last Thursday's 1-0 win over South Korea.
Ochoa makes history in his likely farewell Ochoa, who wears No. 13, played the last 13 minutes, plus stoppage time, in what's likely to be his final appearance for Mexico. He turns 41 on July 13 and has said he plans to retire from international competition after the World Cup. He was a substitute in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018 and 2022. Ral Rangel is the starter this year, stepping in for the injured Luis Angel Malagn, who helped Mexico win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year. Malagn's injury opened the door for Ochoa's return. Ochoa became the oldest Mexican to play in the World Cup. The previous record holder was Cuauhtmoc Blanco, who was 37 when he played in South Africa in 2014. ___ AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Ochoa makes history in his likely farewell Ochoa, who wears No. 13, played the last 13 minutes, plus stoppage time, in what's likely to be his final appearance for Mexico. He turns 41 on July 13 and has said he plans to retire from international competition after the World Cup. He was a substitute in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018 and 2022. Ral Rangel is the starter this year, stepping in for the injured Luis Angel Malagn, who helped Mexico win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year. Malagn's injury opened the door for Ochoa's return. Ochoa became the oldest Mexican to play in the World Cup. The previous record holder was Cuauhtmoc Blanco, who was 37 when he played in South Africa in 2014. ___ AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
