Mexico shocks defending champions
Win over Germany could set team up for favorable path
MOSCOW — They played the game on the banks of the Moscow River, but given the noise, the waves of green Mexican national team jerseys and multicolored sombreros and the loud renditions of “Cielito Lindo,” Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday might as well have been Estadio Azteca.
Mexico was a long way from home, but it was clearly the home team in its World Cup opener. And its raucous supporters were rewarded with a 1-0 win over Germany that made history on several fronts.
For Germany, the 2014 World Cup champion, the result marked the first time in four tries it has lost the opening game of a title defense. For Mexico, the win was its first in three tries over a reigning champion.
Then there was the ageless Rafael Marquez, who came on in the 74th minute to make some history of his own, tying a record by playing in his fifth World Cup.
But the day belonged to forward Hirving Lozano, who scored the game’s only goal late in the first half, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who made that score stand up with a brilliant performance, turning away nine shots to shut Germany out.
“I don’t know if it’s the biggest victory in history, but it’s one of the biggest for sure,” said the 22-year-old Lozano, who was playing in his first World Cup game. “It’s great to start on the right foot when you are playing the reigning world champions.
“It’s definitely the best goal I’ve ever scored in my entire life.” Marquez went one better.
“This was the best victory in a World Cup for Mexico, playing against the world champion,” he said.
And it’s a victory that may have changed the course of the tournament for both teams.
With the win, Mexico is now in charge of its own destiny; with another victory in its last two games, it could advance to the knockout stage as the group champion, possibly avoiding a matchup with Brazil.
Meanwhile, Germany, the only team to have made it to the second round of every World Cup since 1954, needs at least a tie against Sweden on Saturday to keep that streak from ending.
“We will not suffer that fate,” German coach Joachim Loew said through a translator.
The game started like a title fight, with both sides trading body blows in a manic first half. The only time the ball was in midfield was when it was passing through to either end, with the teams combining for 18 shots.
Only one of them found the back of the net, though, and that came at the end of a counterattack in the 35th minute. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who looked shaky early on, sent a long through ball forward for Lozano, racing into the box on the left wing.
Germany’s Mesut Ozil, tracking back on defense, caught Lozano from behind, so the Mexican pulled the ball back with his left foot, spun around Ozil and put a hard-footed right-footed shot in at the near post.