Co-hosts Mexico secured their first FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory in four decades after defeating Ecuador 2-0 in a thrilling Round of 32 encounter at the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday.
Despite a one-hour delay caused by lightning around the stadium, the passionate home crowd remained in full voice and inspired Mexico to a commanding display against the South Americans.
Javier Aguirre’s men seized control early and struck twice within nine minutes in the first half.
Julián Quiñones opened the scoring with a superb finish before Raúl Jiménez doubled the advantage to put the hosts firmly in command.
The result mirrored Mexico’s famous 2-0 victory over Bulgaria at the same venue during the 1986 World Cup — the last time the country hosted football’s biggest tournament — which had also marked their most recent knockout-stage success.
While the expanded 48-team competition means Mexico have not yet reached the quarterfinals, the victory ended a painful run of seven consecutive eliminations in their first knockout match and provided a major boost to their ambitions.
Mexico will now face either England or DR Congo in the next round, with the quarterfinal clash also scheduled to take place at the iconic Estadio Azteca on Sunday.
The hosts have turned the stadium into a fortress over the years, suffering only two defeats in 89 competitive matches there while recording 70 wins. They are also unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches played in Mexico City.
Their progress through the tournament has been equally impressive. By keeping Ecuador scoreless, Mexico became only the fourth nation in World Cup history to win each of their opening four matches without conceding a goal.
For Ecuador, the defeat brought an abrupt end to a campaign that had raised expectations, particularly after their surprise victory over Germany in the group stage.
The South Americans struggled to threaten Mexico and finished the match with 10 men after defender Piero Hincapié was shown a red card deep into stoppage time following an incident involving a newly introduced rule concerning players covering their mouths while speaking to opponents.
