Mexico faced Ecuador in the Round of 16 at the World Cup, with the match starting an hour late due to a storm affecting Mexico City. The game was broadcast on Antena 1 and available for live text updates on GSP.ro.
Mexico secured a 2-0 victory, with goals from Julian Quinones in the 22nd minute and Raul Jimenez in the 31st minute. The winner of this match will meet the victor of the England versus Democratic Republic of Congo matchup in the quarterfinals.
As the game progressed, Ecuador struggled to find their footing. In the 74th minute, Kevin Rodriguez had a significant chance but missed the target. The Ecuadorian team maintained possession but failed to register any shots on goal during the second half.
Mexico dominated the first half, recording 10 shots compared to Ecuador’s two and going into halftime with two goals from just two shots on target. This marked Raul Jimenez’s 47th goal for the national team, trailing only Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who holds the record with 52 goals.
Jimenez’s first goal came from a combination with Quinones, where he struck from 15 meters outside the penalty area, sending the ball into the top corner of the net. Quinones opened the scoring earlier with a powerful shot from inside the box after a run initiated in his half.
Starting Lineups for Mexico and Ecuador:
Mexico (4-3-3): Rangel – J. Sanchez, Montes, Vasquez, Gallardo – Mora, Lira, Romo – Alvarado, R. Jimenez, Quinones. Reserves: Acevedo, Ochoa – E. Alvarez, Chavez Garcia, L. Chavez, Fidalgo, S. Gimenez, A. Gonzalez, B. Gutierrez, Huerta Valera, G. Martinez, Pineda, Reyes, O. Vargas, Vega. Manager: Javiera Aguirre.
Ecuador (4-4-2): Galindez – Franco, Ordonez, Pacho, Hincapie – Yeboah, Caicedo, Vite, Angulo – Plata, E. Valencia. Reserves: G. Valle, M. Ramirez – Castillo, Estupinan, Medina, Minda, Paez, Porozo, Preciado, K. Rodriguez, F. Torres, A. Valencia. Manager: Sebastian Beccacece.
Mexico advanced to the knockout stage by winning all matches in Group A, including a 2-0 victory over South Africa, a 1-0 win against South Korea, and a 3-0 triumph against the Czech Republic. In contrast, Ecuador finished third in Group E, managing only a win against Germany while suffering losses to the Ivory Coast and a draw with Curacao.
Historically, Ecuador has only progressed past the group stage once, during the 2006 World Cup, while Mexico has reached the quarterfinals twice, in 1970 and 1986, both times as hosts. To match that achievement, they will need to overcome either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next round.
