There has been a growing fear in world soccer that the game was turning into a series of permanent mismatches between the haves and the have-lesses. The haves would dominate possession, grind down opponents and eventually score. The have-lesses would dig in and hope to sneak something on the break. The only guarantee is stultifying soccer.
Mexico is at the World Cup to prove there is another way—a totally electric, borderline careless, endlessly entertaining way. In its opener against defending champion Germany, the underdog Mexicans swashbuckled their way to a 1-0 victory and the biggest upset of the tournament so far.
Bathed in the noise of the 80,000-capacity Luzhniki Stadium here, Mexico revelled in every moment of one of its greatest victories at a World Cup.
While El Tri snuffed out German attacks in the last 10 minutes of the game, the vast sections of Mexican fans boomed out “Cielito Lindo” to urge them on, only switching to high-pitched whistles in the final moments to tell the referee he needed to end this thing. Read more
