Mexico ends World Cup knockout round drought, defeats Ecuador to reach Round of 16 - BERITAJA

MEXICO CITY — Mexico erstwhile again enjoyed a nighttime of ceremony pinch its fans, this clip aft defeating an aged nemesis — the knockout shape of the World Cup.

El Tri won its first knockout lucifer astatine a World Cup since 1986, beating Ecuador 2-0 connected Tuesday nighttime astatine the majestic Azteca Stadium packed pinch 80,824 fans.

From 1994 to 2018, Mexico grounded to triumph a World Cup knockout crippled and, successful 2022, grounded to beforehand past the group shape — its worst showing astatine a World Cup since 1978.

“Bringing joyousness to the fans is the champion point that could hap to us,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said aft the win. “Our work is to springiness it our each connected the field. Our work is to take sides our crest and correspond our state pinch dignity.”

Thanks to an expanded 48-team World Cup format pinch a knockout information of 32 teams and a formidable home-field advantage, Mexico achieved a extremity that had seemed impossible.

Mexico players observe aft the World Cup information of 32 triumph complete Ecuador successful Mexico City connected Tuesday.

(Fernando Llano / Associated Press)

Ecuador, which vanished 2nd successful the South American World Cup qualifiers, put up a beardown fight, bombarding the Mexican squad pinch crosses, albeit without overmuch organization.

Fans roared their support for the Mexican nationalist team, which took a thigh of grant aft the match, arsenic the crowd sang “El Rey” and different songs to definitive their emotion for their team.

Julián Quiñones scored the first extremity for Mexico successful the 22nd infinitesimal connected a counterattack, while Raúl Jiménez added the 2nd successful the 31st minute, successful a lucifer wherever El Tri had galore scoring opportunities against an Ecuador broadside that did not look to beryllium well-organized defensively contempt having precocious aft defeating Germany successful the group stage. The triumph complete Germany helped Ecuador go 1 of the third-place finishers to beforehand to the knockout round.

Mexico will play 1 much lucifer successful Mexico City, facing the victor of the England versus the Democratic Republic of Congo lucifer to beryllium played Wednesday successful Atlanta. Mexico’s information of 16 crippled is scheduled for Sunday. The squad is 1 measurement distant from matching its champion World Cup capacity — a tally to the quarterfinals it achieved successful 1970 and 1986 erstwhile Mexico hosted some tournaments.

El Tri is now 4-0 successful World Cup matches and has yet to concede a goal, some firsts for the Mexican nationalist team.

Tuesday night’s showdown pinch Ecuador was delayed by an hr because of lightning.

The Ecuadorian squad complained earlier the lucifer that their fans had not received the tickets required by FIFA and that Mexican fans made sound each nighttime extracurricular the Ecuadorian team’s edifice — a communal believe successful Latin America designed to forestall the force from getting a bully night’s slumber the nighttime earlier a decisive match. Finally, Ecuador’s coach, Argentine Sebastián Beccacece, complained about the logistics of the travel to Mexico, claiming it progressive agelong journeys that were an undue load for his team.

Frustration flared up passim the match, pinch some teams concisely crowding the sideline aft a difficult foul.

When Ecuador could not gain shots connected target and clip was moving retired during the 2nd half, Piero Hincapié ran toward guardant Santi Giménez and covered his rima while speaking.

The referee saw the speech and stopped play, calling for video review. Once he confirmed Hincapié’s action, the referee issued a reddish paper and the Ecuador subordinate became the 2nd subordinate this World Cup for violating FIFA’s regularisation against players covering their mouths during heated exchanges. Since Ecuador lost, Hincapié will service his red-card suspension during the team’s adjacent world match.

FIFA established the caller norm to forestall players from trying hide usage of violative language.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón was the first subordinate to get a reddish paper for the infraction against Turkey earlier successful the World Cup.

Other players person covered their mouths while speaking to opponents during the World Cup, but a reddish paper is only issued if the speech occurs during a confrontation aliases heated exchange.