(Luis Romo Celebrates with Teamamtes. Photo by Sports Nation)
Co-hosts Mexico became the first side to book their place in the World Cup knockout stages, edging South Korea 1-0 in front of an ecstatic crowd at Guadalajara Stadium on Thursday.
Following a lacklustre opening period, Luis Romo capitalised on a goalkeeping mistake shortly after the break to net the winner, securing Mexico’s place as Group A winners with a game still to play.
Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel produced an outstanding double save in the closing minutes to protect the slender lead.
Topping the group means Mexico will remain on home soil for the last 32, where they will take on a third-placed team in Mexico City.
Coach Javier Aguirre admitted that managing emotions ahead of the match had been tough.
He singled out Rangel and the home crowd for special praise, calling the goalkeeper’s save remarkable.
He described the contest as a tactical battle that wasn’t easy for fans to watch, but said the supporters had been brilliant throughout, thanking them for their backing since the team’s arrival, noting that Mexico shirts had been visible everywhere in the stadium.
South Korea sit second on three points, with the Czech Republic and South Africa also still in contention on one point apiece. Hong Myung-bo’s team will face South Africa next and remain well placed to progress.
A tale of two goalkeepers
Aguirre made three changes to the side that defeated South Africa 2-0 in the tournament opener a week earlier, while Hong made just a single adjustment to the South Korea team that had come from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1.
Captain Son Heung-min had the game’s first real opportunity after 15 minutes, lobbing the ball over Rangel, only for Edson Alvarez to clear it off the line with an acrobatic kick.
Son was eventually flagged offside, though replays suggested the call was marginal.
Julian Quinones, who had scored the tournament’s opening goal, then tested South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu with a header that required a good save, lifting the atmosphere inside the stadium.
The remainder of the first half belonged largely to South Korea, who controlled possession comfortably without truly threatening, but managed to quiet the home crowd in the process with boos ringing out from Mexican supporters at the interval.
Mexico came out with much greater urgency after the break, and five minutes into the second half they took the lead when goalkeeper Kim, attempting to claim a high ball, collided with one of his own defenders and spilled it straight into the path of Romo, who simply had to tap the loose ball into an empty net, sending the crowd into wild celebration.
Hong made a surprise substitution before the hour mark, withdrawing veteran star Son and bringing on Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hwang Hee-chan.
Despite the change, South Korea struggled to create chances going forward for most of the remainder of the match, until a flurry of late pressure was repelled by Guadalajara-born Rangel.
South Korea will next face the Czech Republic in their final group fixture. Earlier in the day, South Africa and the Czech Republic played out a 1-1 draw.
