MEXICO SHAKE THE WORLD
Holders Germany are humbled by Osorio’s tactical masterclass
MEXICO pulled off one of the World Cup’s most audacious heists thanks to six months of meticulous planning by a manager the country despised — until now.
PSV forward Hirving Lozano grabbed the winning goal, but it was hate-figure boss Juan Carlos Osorio who worked out that the Germans’ security measures were not impregnable after all.
That goal sent shockwaves through the world and especially Mexico City, where an ‘artificial earthquake’ was put down to the pounding of joyous feet.
Osorio, a former student at St John Moores University in Liverpool and a coach at Manchester City, has been facing calls to quit pretty much since the day he was appointed almost three years ago. Vilified for being a tinkerman — using 50 players in 50 matches — he has also been slated for being over-analytical and, perhaps above all, a Colombian.
There is nothing Osorio can do about that, but he can now tell his adopted countrymen how he became the first coach to defeat Germany in a World Cup opening game in 36 years.
‘We had drawn up a plan for this match six months back or so,’ Osorio revealed, referring to last December’s World Cup draw. He noticed Germany defend high — but with slow defenders.
‘Due to injuries we had to change some of our key players at the last minute, but we always thought about two quick men on the wing,’ he explained. Osorio had decided the best form of defence was attack, to the extent he left three forwards on the halfway line when defending set-pieces.
Germany boss Joachim Low, who has seen 12 Mexico coaches come and go in his 12 years in charge, admitted he had rarely seen anything like it.
Mexico had 13 shots in the first half-hour and it was with No 14 that they took a deserved 35thminute lead. Mats Hummels was turned inside out by a midfield one-two and Lozano gained possession wide left in the box before checking inside to drive past Manuel Neuer at his near post.
The 22- year- old said: ‘ It’s the best goal I’ve scored in my life. I don’t know if it’s the biggest victory in Mexico’s history, but it’s one of the biggest. It’s great to start on the right foot against the reigning world champions.’
The goal sparked a brief German response in which Toni Kroos crashed a free-kick against the bar after a crucial fingertip save from Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Mexico, understandably, struggled to maintain their momentum after the break and sent on their substitutes to slow the game down. Germany laid siege but that left them vulnerable to a counterattack, with Sevilla’s Miguel Layun twice going close to extending Mexico’s lead.
Substitute Julian Brandt nearly stole a late equaliser with a rasping shot that clipped a post from distance. Defeat for Germany raises the unthinkable possibility that they could become the fourth World Cup winning nation out of the last five to go out in the group stages of the following tournament.
Having qualified with 10 wins from 10 games, they have won only once in five friendlies this year. A calm-looking Low insisted: ‘The next match will be decisive for us and we have to win against Sweden, it goes without saying. We will not change our match plan. We will not fall apart and lose our heads and do something different.
‘We will not suffer that fate of other previous winners knocked out in the group stage and we will make it to the next round. There is no reason to panic. We have ample opportunity to correct this result.’