Mexico Breaks 40-Year Curse In World Cup Knockout Stage Win vs. Ecuador

Julian Quinones and Raúl Jiménez scored goals successful a nine-minute span successful the archetypal fractional and Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 connected Tuesday nighttime to interruption a 40-year drought without a triumph successful the knockout signifier and progressed to the World Cup circular of 16.

Quiñones opened the scoring successful the 22nd infinitesimal portion Jiménez added a onslaught successful the 31st infinitesimal for the Mexicans, who had not won a knockout-stage lucifer since defeating Bulgaria successful the circular of 16 erstwhile they hosted the tourney successful 1986.

Mexico subsequently mislaid 7 consecutive times astatine that aforesaid signifier from 1994 to 2018.

In Qatar 2022, they were eliminated successful the radical signifier for the archetypal clip since Argentina successful 1978.

It was Quiñones 3rd extremity of the tourney and helium is present El Tri’s second-best scorer successful World Cup past down Luis "Matador" Hernández and Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, who scored 4 each.

Jiménez scored his 2nd extremity of the tourney and has 47 with the nationalist squad to interruption a necktie with Jared Borgetti. He is 5 distant from tying "Chicharito" Hernández arsenic the all-time starring scorer for Mexico.

Mexico volition play different location lucifer Sunday against the victor of Wednesday's lucifer betwixt England and Congo.

Playing astatine the iconic Azteca Stadium, the Mexican squad boasts an undefeated grounds crossed 10 World Cup matches. Mexico has conscionable 2 authoritative losses astatine the venue — the past being a World Cup qualifying decision to Honduras connected Sept. 6, 2013.

With the win, Mexico extended its unbeaten tally to 12 games, dating backmost to a affable nonaccomplishment against Paraguay successful November.

Mexico besides became the archetypal CONCACAF broadside to destruct a CONMEBOL broadside successful a World Cup knockout match. Teams from South America won the erstwhile 5 meetings.

Ecuador was trying to beforehand to the circular of 16 for the 2nd clip successful their past and the archetypal since Germany 2006.

The lucifer started 1 hr aft the archetypal scheduled clip owed to a thunderstorm.

It was the 2nd lucifer of the tourney affected by weather. A tempest during the France-Iraq lucifer astatine Philadelphia connected June 22 caused a 2-hour, 11-minute suspension astatine the extremity of the archetypal half.

Reporting by the Associated Press.