Mexico City, July 1: Mexico secured a spot in the Round of 16 by defeating Ecuador 2-0 on Wednesday (Indian time). Manager Javier Aguirre described this moment as particularly special for the team, as they have overcome a hurdle they could not surpass during his previous tenure.
In 1986, when Mexico hosted the tournament, Aguirre was part of the team as a player. The 67-year-old has managed Mexican teams that were eliminated in the knockout rounds of the 2002 and 2010 World Cups.
According to a report by ‘Xinhua’, Aguirre stated in a press conference, “This means a lot to me. I have never reached the fifth match. It happened in South Korea and Japan (2002) and South Africa (2010). We performed well in the group stage but could not advance.”
Thanks to goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez in the first half, Mexico achieved its fourth consecutive victory in the tournament without conceding a goal. Aguirre praised the unity of his players, saying, “This team deserves what it is achieving. There is a special connection, and we are fortunate to play the World Cup at home. Today, we are among the last 16 teams, and we have been together for a long time. We are very happy and fully focused. We are like a true family, which is rare in football. There is a strong unity among the players, coaching staff, and everyone working behind the scenes.”
Mexico’s next match will be against the winner of the Round of 32 match between England and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, scheduled for Wednesday.
Aguirre emphasized that no team should be underestimated. He concluded, “We will watch the match (between England and DR Congo) and recover as much as possible by Sunday. We will keep our spirits up throughout the week and aim to play another good match.”
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