The sky over Mexico City went dark before kickoff. Lightning cut across the clouds. Then the home team did the same to Ecuador.
Mexico rolled 2-0 on Tuesday night at the Estadio Azteca, punching their ticket to the round of 16 and sending a clear message to whoever draws them next. That could be England or DR Congo, and neither side should be thrilled about a trip to this building.
From the first whistle, Mexico treated Ecuador like a sparring partner. They stormed the box three times inside the opening minutes. Teenage forward Gilberto Mora, starting a knockout match at an age only Pele has topped, ripped one just wide. Then he fired another effort a whisker past the post. Raul Jimenez nodded a header off target when he probably should have buried it.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute. Julian Quinones picked the ball up on the counter, drove into the box and smashed an unstoppable shot past Hernan Galindez. The Azteca erupted at a volume that reportedly hits 118 decibels, which is basically a jet engine with a crowd attached.
Jimenez made sure he got his moment too. He traded passes with Quinones and ripped a shot into the top corner from just outside the box. The cameras could barely hold steady as 80,000 fans shook the place.
Ecuador had called Mexico “brotherly” in a pregame statement. There was nothing brotherly about it. They were outshot, outworked and eventually out of the tournament after Piero Hincapie got sent off late for covering his mouth while speaking, which felt like the sort of frustration that builds when nothing goes your way.
The second half was uglier. Mexico sat back, absorbed pressure and relied on last-ditch tackles and a few saves from Rangel. Ecuador created some half-chances — Gonzalo Plata hit the woodwork after a filthy nutmeg — but never really looked like pulling one back.
This is the part where history starts whispering. Mexico has never made it past the quarterfinals at a World Cup, but they reached the last eight both times they hosted, in 1970 and 1986. They get their next shot on July 5. England or DR Congo has to make the trip to the Azteca, a venue that has seen some of the craziest nights in soccer history. The question now is whether this team can add another one.
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