Argentina Advances With Win Over Mexico
Posted June 24, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
On the first day of elimination play at the 2006 World Cup, Mexico almost made a huge statement in their match with Argentina. Almost.
Rafael Marquez put the Mexicans up 1-0 in the sixth minute, initially stunning an Argentinean side that hadn’t met much resistance before that point in the tournament.
Fans around the world were undoubtedly thinking upset, but such thoughts lasted just minutes as in the 10 th a dangerous cross toward the Mexican net got just enough of striker Hernan Crespo, knotting the game up at one goal a piece.
In fact that’s how it remained for the rest of regulation, and the two sides headed into the 15-minute extra periods each looking for a Golden Goal to propel them into the round of eight.
And in the end, Argentina found one first.
In the 98 th minute Maxi Rodriguez scored not only a momentous goal for his Argentinean side, but an impressive highlight-worthy one when he controlled a cross-field pass with his chest before wheeling around and striking it hard with his left foot.
A blink of the eye later it was in the back of Mexico’s goal.
“Really, it was incredible,” Rodriguez said. “A very beautiful goal. It was a very hard-fought game and I think this goal put us at ease for the final minutes.”
“I had not decided to shoot, but the ball fell right in front of me,” he added. “It’s one of those shots that can go into the stands or in the goal.”
Mexico had the remainder of the 30 extra minutes to try for an equalizer and force a penalty shootout, but they simply couldn’t get close and a short time later it was all over but the crying.
Looking ahead, the two-time champion Argentines will face host Germany in the quarterfinals in Berlin on Friday.
Germany beat Sweden 2-0 earlier in the day.
