Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 to reach World Cup last 16 and end knockout hoodoo

MEXICO CITY: Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory as first-half goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-0 win over Ecuador on Tuesday (Jun 30), sending the co-hosts into the last 16 amid euphoric scenes at a rocking Azteca Stadium.

The victory was Mexico's first in the knockout stages of a World Cup since beating Bulgaria on home soil in 1986 and booked a meeting with either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last 16, with the co-hosts returning to the Azteca for the stadium's final match of the tournament.

Kickoff was delayed by an hour due to thunderstorms, but the weather did little to dampen an atmosphere that surpassed even Mexico's tournament opener, with over 80,000 fans turning the venue into a sea of green long before the opening whistle.

Mexico fed off that energy from the outset and nearly took an early lead when Raul Jimenez peeled away to meet Luis Romo's inviting cross, only to stoop a header narrowly wide.

Teenager Gilberto Mora then came within inches of producing one of the goals of the tournament, whipping a fierce effort from a tight angle just beyond Hernan Galindez's far post.

Ecuador weathered the early pressure and almost stunned the home crowd when Gonzalo Plata launched a swift counter-attack, which ended with John Yeboah skipping past his marker before drilling an angled effort against the outside of the post.

Mexico's breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute though and sparked deafening celebrations around the Azteca.

Roberto Alvarado picked out Quinones with a perfectly weighted pass through Ecuador's high press and the Colombian-born forward shrugged off Willian Pacho before opening his body and unleashing a thunderous finish into the top corner