Fans anticipated an electrifying clash in Mexico’s Round of 32 face-off against Ecuador, and the teams delivered exactly that.
From the outset, Ecuador appeared tentative, opting for a cautious and slow-paced approach. This strategy proved costly for them.
Mexico dominated the opening 20 minutes with relentless aggression. The players, donned in green, stormed the field with unyielding fervor from the kickoff, launching repeated attacks that kept Ecuador on the defensive and unable to gather steam.
At the 21st-minute mark, Julián Quiñones pierced through Ecuador’s defenses effortlessly, executing a flawless shot that found the back of the net, sending waves of celebration through the crowd at Estadio Azteca.
Just ten minutes later, Raúl Jiménez, known for his prowess with Wolves, emulated this feat with a stunning goal soaring into the top right corner, extending Mexico’s lead to 2-0.
It was surprising to see Ecuador on the back foot this way. A team lauded for their defensive play throughout the tournament were soundly run through by a Mexican team that seemed fearless and, at times, telepathic.
By half-time, the pressure was clearly getting to the Ecuadorians — Alan Franco was booked for dissent in the 45th minute.
When Ecuador trooped off to the dressing room, they looked for all the world like a visiting team at Liverpool’s Anfield — rattled by the intensity of both the on-pitch attack and that of the fans in the stands.
When the second half began, Mexico went right back to work, their vision and passing among the best and most creative of the entire tournament. They’d changed up their tactics, however — with two goals in hand, the mission was now to protect them. Thus, Mexico parked the bus, free to sit back and let Ecuador come to them.
They did. Ecuador finally enjoyed a decent spell in possession at the top of the second half, provoking cacophony from the Mexican crowd.
Ecuador’s Pedro Vite blew their best chance for the night, hounded down the right flank toward the penalty area before booting the ball into orbit.
Ecuador made their first change in the 58th minute, Kevin Rodríguez came on to replace Enner Valencia. For Mexico, it was Brian Gutiérrez swapped out for Gilberto Mora.
The Mexican midfield made themselves a wall, batting away any ball that came even close to their box. Again and again, Ecuador probed the defensive line in search of a way through. Only in the 73rd minute did Mexico display its first example of poor defending, a loose ball from Ecuador very nearly finding its way into the net.
Unfortunately, with 25 minutes of regulation time still remaining, it was clear that Ecuador was running out of ideas. Tasked with climbing a mountain higher than the 2,200m Mexico City plateau they were already playing on, no answers were forthcoming.
It boiled over three minutes into extra time when Piero Hincapie drew a red card for covering his mouth with his hand when speaking to an opponent during a confrontation. Such conduct has been outlawed by FIFA. Miguel Almiron of Paraguay met a similar fate only days ago.
An ignoble end to a difficult game for Ecuador. A moment of further vindication for Mexico.
Yes, it was a battering. Yes, Mexico had Ecuador outplayed and out-manoeuvred from the moment the match began. But what a treat to watch a Mexican team this good ply their trade. They look like a team that will be very difficult to stop as they move forward.
Mbappé makes the difference
Kylian Mbappé scored twice, and Michael Olise was in scintillating form as France beat Sweden 3-0 at the World Cup on Wednesday to set up a Round of 16 clash with Paraguay.
Mbappé finished a superb move to break the deadlock just before half-time in the last-32 tie watched by 80,663 at the New York New Jersey Stadium, after France had already hit the woodwork twice — once through Mbappé and once through Olise.
The French were on top throughout against a limited Swedish side, utterly dominant in terms of possession and shots on goal.
Olise set up Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola for the second on 53 minutes, and then delivered a delightful pass for Mbappé to complete a convincing victory.
Mbappé’s strikes saw him move level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the all-star golden boot race at this World Cup.
The France captain now has 18 World Cup goals in total, meaning he is just one behind Messi’s overall record of 19 — a mark which 27-year-old Mbappé will keep chasing.
Olise released Mbappé through the middle to put the ball in the net in the 20th minute, only for a tight offside call to cut short the celebrations.
However, that sparked an intense spell of French pressure which eventually resulted in the opening goal.
Some of their football was mesmerising, as Mbappé hit the post from a Jules Koundé ball across the face of goal and Adrien Rabiot fired narrowly over.
Olise then struck an upright with a breathtaking overhead bicycle kick before Dembélé put the rebound wide.
The opener came right on half-time, after an Olise effort was tipped behind by Swedish ‘keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
Dembélé and Olise combined at the resulting corner before finding Mbappé, and he did the rest.
He celebrated his first goal by running across to embrace coach Didier Deschamps, who missed France’s final group game against Norway to travel home for his mother’s funeral.
Deschamps will step down at the end of the competition after 14 highly successful years in charge.
Going out in the Round of 32 would have been an anti-climactic way to depart for Deschamps, who captained the first France team to win the World Cup in 1998 and coached them to glory in 2018.
In 1998, France’s run to victory on home soil included a 1-0 last-16 win over Paraguay, when Laurent Blanc scored a golden goal in extra time.
Sweden have quality in attack too, with the Premier League trio of Viktor Gyökeres, Alexander Isak and Anthony Elanga. But they couldn’t get enough of the ball to create chances, and Graham Potter’s team now go home.
Sweden needed the interval to regroup, but they conceded again eight minutes after the restart as the magical Olise threaded a pass through the legs of Gustaf Lagerbielke for Barcola, who lashed in.
Olise couldn’t score when clean through, but soon after he delivered an exceptional assist for Mbappé to curl in again on 74 minutes.
Getting this far should really be seen as a success for Sweden, however, after they only made it to North America through the back door of the play-offs.
Les Bleus will face the South Americans in the Round of 16 again this time, on Saturday in Philadelphia.
France will be fully expected to win and march on. Freshly-minted giant killers Paraguay, riding high on their win over Germany, may feel differently.
Haaland the Great
Erling Haaland scored a late winner as Norway set up a Round of 16 showdown with Brazil at the World Cup after taming the Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in Texas on Tuesday.
The Manchester City striker prodded in from close range, the ball dribbling in on 86 minutes for his fifth goal of the tournament.
It was the first time that Norway had won a knockout game in the history of the competition.
A match between two physical teams was tepid to begin with at the impressive air-conditioned home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Côte d’Ivoire had a sight of goal after 20 minutes, defender Ghislain Konan bursting into the Norway box from the left but finding the side netting.
Côte d’Ivoire players and fans were irate just before the drinks break when the livewire Yan Diomandé was brought down on the break just inside his own half.
Referee Jesús Valenzuela surprisingly did not even book defender David Møller Wolfe.
The 19-year-old winger Diomandé, who appears set to join European champions Paris Saint-Germain from RB Leipzig, was growing into the game.
The African side, one of the youngest at the tournament, were on top and particularly threatening down Diomandé’s left-hand side of the pitch.
Haaland had little to feed on but might have done better with a tame header that bounced into the hands of goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
Then came a moment of genuine class as Nusa, fed by captain Martin Ødegaard, cut inside and bent the ball wonderfully into the top corner.
Ødegaard put his hands on his head in disbelief at the strike by the 21-year-old, Diomandé’s Leipzig team-mate.
Ståle Solbakken’s Norway finished the first half on the hunt for a second, and Haaland was denied by a last-gasp block by Ibrahim Sangaré, who celebrated as if scoring a goal.
Côte d’Ivoire, into the knockout rounds for the first time, won their 10th corner to start the second half.
Nicolas Pepe was denied by the legs of Norway stopper Ørjan Nyland as Côte d’Ivoire piled on the pressure.
Norway, runners-up to France in the group stage, were inches away from a second when Diallo blocked the ball on the goal line following a corner.
The Norway fans, sensing the next round was close, began their now-famous rowing in the stands.
Almost as soon as they stopped, Diallo danced into the box past two challenges for a spectacular leveller.
Then up popped Haaland to break Ivorian hearts, with goalkeeper Nyland pulling off a flying stop from Diallo’s well-struck free kick at the death to send Norway through.
— With additional reporting by Agence France-Presse.
