Mexico Coast Past Ecuador, England Next Up?

Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez, both of them finding the net before half-time, punched Mexico's ticket to the knockout rounds. Easy. No fuss. The game itself, played in front of 80,824 souls at the Azteca, had to wait an hour. A brutal thunderstorm rolled through. But Javier Aguirre's squad? They came out just as imposing once the whistle finally blew.

Mexico's press was relentless. Their movement, damn intelligent. Ecuador barely knew what hit them from the jump. Quinones opened the scoring at 22 minutes, slicing in from the left and absolutely burying it in the top corner. Jimenez hammered home the second just before the break. Sloppy defending from the opposition, sure, but he finished it like he meant it.

Sky Sports said Ecuador barely showed up after the break. Not that it mattered. Mexico owned the ball. Controlled everything. Then, in stoppage time, things predictably boiled over. Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie, bless his heart, got a red card. What for? Covering his mouth during a spat with Santiago Gimenez. A truly vital contribution there, Piero.

Four wins. Eight goals scored. Zero conceded. Mexico’s World Cup campaign remains unblemished. And the Azteca? It’s a damn fortress. Only two goals given up in 89 competitive matches there. That's a hell of a gauntlet for any visitor. So, if England *actually* manages to beat DR Congo on Wednesday — and let's face it, they should — they're looking at Mexico's home turf, thin air, and an atmosphere that’ll suck the oxygen right out of them. Every single minute of it.