Mexico make light work of Czechia to top Group A

Group A

Czechia 0-3 Mexico

Mexico scored three second-half goals to eliminate the Czech Republic from the World Cup and end the group phase with maximum points.

Co-hosts Mexico had been confirmed as group winners prior to their final game in Mexico City, having already beaten South Africa and South Korea.

That gave boss Javier Aguirre an opportunity to rotate his squad and left-back Mateo Chavez, one of five players brought into the starting line-up from their previous fixture, showed superb composure to net his first international goal just after half-time.

Teenager Gilberto Mora, another player given his first start of the tournament, impressed in midfield and supplied the pass that led to Mexico’s second goal, which was scored by Julian Quinones.

Mora slid Jorge Sanchez through on goal and, although he was initially denied by goalkeeper Matej Kovar, a chaotic passage of play inside the Czechs’ six-yard box ended with Quinones poking in a loose ball to score his second goal of the World Cup.

Aged 17 years and 253 days, Mora became the sixth-youngest player in history to start a men’s World Cup match and the youngest player to do so for Mexico.

He received a brilliant ovation when he was substituted after 72 minutes and his replacement, Alvaro Fidalgo, found the top corner from 15 yards to complete the scoring.

Aside from the goals, one of the loudest receptions at Azteca Stadium was reserved for 40-year-old Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa when he was brought on as a late substitute.

Ochoa is in his sixth World Cup campaign, matching Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi, although he has only appeared in four of them as he was an unused squad member at the 2006 and 2010 tournaments.

Mexico’s last-32 tie against one of the eight best third-placed teams will be played in Mexico City at 02:00 BST on Wednesday, 1 July. The Czech Republic are out of the tournament, finishing bottom of Group A with one point from their three games.