Somewhere, newest Mexico superfan Landon Donovan must be smiling.
The Mexican national team is in a relatively tough group in Russia, with defending champ Germany and two other solid teams (Sweden and South Korea.) But from the start of today’s match against Germany, Mexico looked very much up to the challenge, and they fully deserved their breakthrough late in the first half:
#MundialTelemundo En voz de 🎙 @AndresCantorGOL así vivimos el gol de @HirvingLozano70 para el 1-0 de #MEX sobre #GER pic.twitter.com/lEFVHW9SEu
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 17, 2018
Here’s how Mexico (and rumored USMNT candidate) Juan Carlos Osorio celebrated the goal, an angle I love because you can see how early the team knows something could be on:
#MundialTelemundo ¡Así celebró! Juan Carlos Osorio y la banca de #MEX tras la anotación de @HirvingLozano70 pic.twitter.com/dQoatDueG9
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 17, 2018
Andres Cantor is amazing. That goal triggered a massive celebration in Mexico City:
👀that reaction from the Zocalo in Mexico City to Chucky Lozano's goal. pic.twitter.com/PcyHyfit9w
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2018
And also in Berlin, which is awesome:
Shoutout to the #ElTri fans in Berlin! 😂 pic.twitter.com/xsksfqFqSR
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2018
Which in turn registered on the Richter scale:
El #sismo detectado en la Ciudad de México se originó de manera artificial. Posiblemente por saltos masivos durante el Gol de la selección de #México en el mundial. Por lo menos dos sensores dentro de la Ciudad lo detectaron a las 11:32. pic.twitter.com/mACKesab3b
— SIMMSA (@SIMMSAmex) June 17, 2018
Germany did come close a few times as the match went on:
Mexico is up at the half, but Germany came close to an equalizer on this free kick from Kroos! pic.twitter.com/wod22huMTM
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2018
Germany come close AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/TzSbblJsZG
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2018
But Mexico ended up hanging on for a 1-0 victory, and they now sit atop Group F and look very likely to advance from the group stage for the seventh straight World Cup. Of course, what they’d really like to do is avoid being eliminated in the round of 16 for the seventh straight World Cup, too, but based on today’s performance they look like they’ll have a very good chance to do that.