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Mexico coach Javier Aguirre praised his team's "mentality" after a perfect three-in-three group stage finish in the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
For the first time in their history in the illustrious tournament, Mexico won all three group stage matches, stamping its authority on Czechia with a dominant 3-0 win. Following their win, Aguirre said that he did not like how the team played for their first 20 minutes, but recovery after that "showed the power of mental strength" "I did not like the first 20 minutes, but then we settled down, the team recovered, and that is where we showed the power of mental strength," he said during a post-match presser as quoted by Reuters. The Mexico coach, who was also a part of the team as a captain in the 2002 and 2010 editions, said that while the performance was good, the team "always have a few things to work on". The 67-year-old said that his team's mentality is essential to how far they go forward in the tournament, as they aim to go past the final eight for the first time ever. "I think we have improved in that area, that mentality of 'Well, that is it, we have done our part.' This group has character," he said. Having already sealed top spot in Group A and qualification for the Round of 32, the co-hosts entered the match with little pressure. The Czech Republic, however, required a positive result to keep their chances of advancing alive and started the contest on the front foot. Denis Visinsky was among the visitors' brightest performers in the opening stages and came close to breaking the deadlock in the eighth minute when his low strike narrowly missed the target. Mexico gradually took control of proceedings and found the breakthrough ten minutes into the second half. Mateo Chavez used his pace to get behind the Czech Republic defence before calmly finishing to give the hosts a 1-0 lead, sending the home crowd into celebration. The momentum remained firmly with Mexico, and they doubled their advantage just six minutes later. Julian Quinones was in the right place at the right time to convert from close range, putting Javier Aguirre's side in a commanding position. With the result all but secured, the Mexican supporters were given another reason to celebrate when veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was introduced with 12 minutes remaining. The 40-year-old became one of the few players to feature in six editions of the FIFA World Cup, adding another milestone to his illustrious international career. Mexico capped off the victory in stoppage time as Alvaro Fidalgo found the back of the net to make it 3-0 and complete a dominant display. The result saw Mexico finish the group stage with three wins from three matches, carrying strong momentum into the Round of 32. For Czechia, the defeat confirmed their elimination from the tournament after failing to secure the points required to stay in contention for a place in the knockout phase. (ANI)
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