Mexico survives thanks to a heroic Raúl Rangel in goal, defeats South Korea 1-0 | OneFootball

Guadalajara, Jalisco — Luis Romo scored the winning goal, but goalkeeper Raúl Rangel was Mexico’s true hero. The Chivas shot-stopper kept El Tri alive during its toughest moments as Mexico secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea at Estadio Guadalajara, strengthening its grip on first place in Group A and guaranteeing that it will play at least two more matches in Mexico City.

Mexico once again struggled in attack. It failed to earn a single corner kick and looked short of ideas going forward for most of the match. However, a costly mistake by South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu proved enough for Javier Aguirre’s side to maintain its perfect start to the World Cup while also preserving its second consecutive clean sheet.

The victory also marked Mexico’s first-ever World Cup win outside Estadio Azteca. In 1970, El Tri was eliminated by Italy in Toluca in the quarterfinals, while in 1986 it fell to West Germany in Monterrey.

First Half

The first major chance came in the 14th minute when Edson Álvarez cleared Heung-min Son’s chip shot off the goal line. Although the play was later ruled offside, the Mexico captain’s acrobatic clearance drew applause.

Mexico answered six minutes later with a cross from the right flank that nearly found Julián Quiñones, but goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu reacted quickly to smother the chance.

In the 21st minute, play was stopped for the tournament’s mandatory cooling break, prompting loud boos from the more than 45,000 fans inside Estadio Guadalajara, who voiced their displeasure with FIFA’s new rule.

El Tri once again looked disconnected in the final third. Through the opening 35 minutes, its only shot came from a Julián Quiñones header. Aguirre’s team repeated many of the offensive issues seen in its opening match. Brian Gutiérrez showed he still lacks experience at this level, surprise starter Luis Romo had little influence early on, and Raúl Jiménez barely touched the ball during the first half. Even Aguirre appeared visibly frustrated on the sideline before halftime.

Mexico struggled to create chances, while South Korea consistently looked more dangerous whenever it had possession.

Second Half Breakthrough

The breakthrough came five minutes into the second half. Kim Seung-gyu made a costly mistake after colliding with teammate Kim Min-jae, spilling what appeared to be a routine catch. The loose ball fell directly to Luis Romo, who calmly slotted it home to give Mexico a 1-0 lead.

After the goal, Aguirre sent Santiago Giménez, Obed Vargas, Gilberto Mora and Orbelín Pineda to warm up. However, by the 66th minute all four were still waiting on the sidelines. Knowing the lead had come through a fortunate mistake, Aguirre kept his starting eleven on the field, a decision that was not well received by the home crowd.

Following the hydration break, Orbelín Pineda replaced Brian Gutiérrez, while Obed Vargas came on for goalscorer Luis Romo, who marked his World Cup debut with a goal.

South Korea manager Hong Myung-bo responded in the 71st minute by introducing Eom Ji-sung and Yang Hyun-jun in search of an equalizer.

Mexican Consolidation & Heroics

Mexico gradually became more comfortable and found space on the wings, particularly through Julián Quiñones. In the 75th minute, Kim Seung-gyu redeemed himself with a spectacular save to deny Raúl Jiménez, preventing what looked destined to be Mexico’s second goal and silencing the 45,522 fans inside Estadio Guadalajara.

Santiago Giménez made his World Cup debut in the 78th minute, replacing Raúl Jiménez. Four years after being left off Mexico’s squad for the 2022 World Cup while playing for Feyenoord, the current AC Milan striker finally fulfilled his dream of appearing on football’s biggest stage, despite arriving at the tournament during one of the most difficult stretches of his European career. At the same time, Israel Reyes replaced Roberto Alvarado, signaling Aguirre’s intention to reinforce his defense.

Mexico’s final substitution saw Héctor Huerta make his World Cup debut in place of Julián Quiñones, meaning Gilberto Mora, Mexico’s rising teenage sensation and the youngest player at the tournament, was left without seeing the field.

Kim Seung-gyu came up with another outstanding save in the 84th minute, denying Orbelín Pineda to keep South Korea within striking distance.

Two minutes later, Raúl Rangel delivered the save of the night. In the 86th minute, the Chivas goalkeeper produced a sensational double save to deny Cho Gue-sung and preserve Mexico’s lead. The stop sparked chants of “Tala! Tala!” throughout Estadio Guadalajara, as fans celebrated what was arguably Mexico’s best save of the tournament so far.

What It Means

With the victory, Mexico now sits on six points and will face Czechia next Wednesday, June 24. Finishing atop the group will allow El Tri to remain at Estadio Ciudad de México for at least one more knockout-round match, as the venue is set to host both the Round of 32 and Round of 16.

Group A standings: