Sweden brush aside Mexico to top table and seal progress to knock-out stages as Group F winners

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/27/mexico-vs-sweden-world-cup-2018-live-score-latest-updates

Hundreds of Mexico supporters danced and cheered outside the South Korean embassy in Mexico City on Wednesday night, grateful that the Asian country’s victory over Germany guaranteed the national team a spot in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
After Sweden beat Mexico 3-0 in Ekaterinburg, courtesy of second-half goals from Ludvig Augustinsson and Andreas Granqvist, plus an own goal from Edson Alvarez, Mexican fans were left praying that South Korea would deliver a sporting miracle in beating the reigning world champions. They delivered with a stunning 2-0 win which allowed Mexico to finish the group in second place. Despite their amazing victory, South Korea were eliminated.
Bjoung-yin Han, consul general at the embassy, said: “There’s no distinction between Mexicans and Koreans today” and added that Mexican staff were crying with joy.

Hundreds of Mexicans celebrated outside the embassy in the upmarket neighbourhood of Lomas de Chapultepec, waving flags of both countries, donning sombreros and quaffing tequila.

A Korean member of the diplomatic staff was raised on to the shoulders of the crowd, which shouted “Korean, brother, now you’re Mexican.”

The fans also led what appeared to be an embassy official in a chorus of “Cielito Lindo,” Mexico’s unofficial football anthem.

Celebrations spread to the historic centre of the capital, where World Cup games are being shown on giant screens. Mexican fans mobbed Asian tourists and TV footage showed an Asian man being flung into the air and caught by the crowd.

South Korea’s players were unaware they had gone out of the World Cup when the final whistle sounded yesterday, goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo said.

“We did not know [the Sweden score], it was only after the game was over that we knew,” said Cho. “All the Korean players and the head coach here, we were playing for the Korean people. It was only after the match was over that we knew the score, that was why a lot of us cried.”. 

Some stats for you

• Sweden have now reached the Last 16 of the World Cup on each of the last four occasions in which they have qualified for the tournament.
• This was Sweden’s biggest win in a World Cup game since they defeated Bulgaria 4-0 in 1994 in a third-place playoff match.
• Mexico have reached the Last 16 in each of the last eight World Cup tournaments they have taken part in.
• Andreas Granqvist is the first Swede to score two or more goals in a single World Cup tournament since Henrik Larsson in 2002 (3 goals).
• This was Mexico’s worst defeat at the World Cup since they were defeated 0-6 by Germany in 1978.
• Mexico full-back Edson Alvarez scored the seventh own-goal of this tournament – more than there has ever been in any previous World Cup.
• Ludwig Augustinsson’s opener for Sweden was the first goal he has ever scored at international level with the senior team, with what was his first shot at this tournament.
• Mexico had 20 shots today but failed to find the net with any of them – they last had more shots without scoring in a World Cup game against Germany in 1978 (22).
• Mexico’s Jesús Gallardo was shown a yellow card after just 15 seconds in this game – it is the fastest anyone has ever been shown a card at the World Cup.
• This was the first game of this year’s World Cup tournament in which both teams named unchanged line-ups from their previous matches.