Mexico: Shock and awesome
Stuns ’14 champion Germany behind Lozano, Ochoa
MOSCOW — They played Sunday night’s game on the banks of the Moscow River, but given the noise, the waves of green Mexican national team jerseys and the multicolored sombreros, Luzhniki Stadium may as well have been Estadio Azteca.
Mexico is 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 victory over Germany that made history on several fronts.
For Germany, the 2014 World Cup winner, the result marked the first time the four-time champion had 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 and tied a record by playing in his fifth World Cup.
But the day belonged to forward Hirving Lozano, who scored the only goal late in the first half, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who made that score stand up by turning away nine shots to shut out Germany.
“I don’t know if it’s the biggest victory in history, but it’s one of the biggest, for sure,” said Lozano, 22, 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.” Hirving Lozano, left, slides on his knees as he celebrates with Jesus Gallardo after scoring in Mexico’s upset of Germany.
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 victory, Mexico is in charge of its own destiny. With one win in its next two games, it could advance to the knockout stage as the group champion, avoiding a secondround matchup with Brazil.
Meanwhile, Germany, the only team to have made it made it to the second round of every World Cup since 1954, needs at least a tie Saturday against Sweden to keep that streak from ending.
“We will not suffer that fate,” German coach Joachim Low said through a translator.
But Low, who has lost just three games in three World Cups as Germany’s coach, acknowledged: “It’s disappointing to lose the first match. It’s not a situation we’re used to at all.”
Germany didn’t go quietly, though, giving Low something to build on. Eighteen of its shots came in the second half, when it enjoyed a 2-1 advantage in time of possession. By the final minutes, the weary Mexicans were playing more with their hearts than with their feet.
“We showed a lot of character, a lot of determination,” midfielder Miguel Layun said. “We suffered a lot to get this result. That’s why this result has a lot of value
“In football and life, you have to dream with everything and fight for it. Nobody guarantees you anything.”
When the final whistle sounded, Ochoa, too tired to move, stood in front of his goal wearing a look more of relief than of joy as he wiped a gloved hand across this face.
“Nobody can tell us not to dream,” Ochoa said. “We are here in this competition, and we want to stay until the last day. We know it is going to be difficult, but we know that we can compete against any team.” Five-time champion Brazil was held to a draw by Switzerland in Rostov-onDon.
Philippe Coutinho gave Brazil the lead in the 20th minute before Steven Zuber headed in the equalizer in the 50th. Mexican referee Cesar Ramos dismissed complaints that Zuber had shoved a defender.
Swiss players got three yellow cards, and 10 of the 14 fouls they committed were on Neymar. Aleksandar Kolarov scored on a left-footed free kick in the 56th minute in Serbia’s victory in Samara.
After David Guzman was handed a yellow card, Kolarov curled the free kick over the wall. Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who plays for Real Madrid, couldn’t reach it.