In their most recent friendly match before the World Cup, Mexico demonstrated their strength by thrashing Serbia 5-1 . Their striker, Raúl Jimenez, played exceptionally well and contributed one goal. Since being led by coach Aguirre, Mexico has gradually become a team with clear breakthroughs in their play. Along with an increasingly stable attack, the North American team also boasts a very solid defense ; therefore, in their last eight matches, the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup have only conceded two goals. Currently, the North American team has an unbeaten streak of eight consecutive matches , including six wins under coach Javier Aguirre . This shows that Mexico has prepared very well for their World Cup campaign on home soil . Therefore, it shouldn't be too difficult for Mexico to secure all three points in their opening match of the biggest sporting event on the planet, held on home soil.
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Meanwhile, South Africa's preparations for the 2026 World Cup have been rather rushed. They only managed to play one friendly match in the past few weeks , a 1-0 win against Jamaica , before their match against Mexico. This lack of preparation alone is enough to make the team from the African continent less likely to be highly rated on opening day. Furthermore, before their 1-0 win against Jamaica, South Africa hadn't been in impressive form, specifically drawing two and losing two matches. In particular, South Africa has performed very poorly away from home, failing to win in their last five consecutive away games , including four matches without scoring a goal . Overall , the performances of the host nation of the 2010 World Cup show that the players ' form across all positions has been inconsistent. Furthermore, South Africa lacked a star player of sufficient stature to inspire the entire team. Therefore, their defeat against co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup, Mexico, was predictable.
As predicted before the match, the Mexican team completely dominated the South African team. Right from the opening whistle, the Mexican players continuously pressured the South African defense, making things extremely difficult for them . And in the 9th minute, a South African defender fumbled the ball, Lira seized it and passed it to Quinones, who unleashed a powerful shot into the net of the African team. After scoring the opening goal, Mexico maintained pressure in the opponent's half , leading to Sithole receiving a red card in the 50th minute for a foul from behind.
However, the second goal didn't come until the 67th minute. A Mexican player received the ball on the right wing and delivered a precise cross for Jimenez to head the ball into the net of South Africa. 2-0 for the home team . In the 83rd minute, South Africa were reduced to nine men after Zwane received a red card for a foul. Mexico also received a red card in the 90+2 minute when Montes committed a very rough foul on Mudau of South Africa. The match ended with a 2-0 victory for Mexico, considered a promising start for the co-hosts of the 2026 World Cup.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/khoi-dau-thuan-loi-447564.html
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