Mexico Player Ratings vs. Ecuador: El Tri Earns First Knockout Stage Win in 40 Years

Mexico’s 2–0 victory over Ecuador in the round of 32 sent the South Americans packing.

It’s a new era for El Tri. | Carl Recine/Getty Images

The entire Estadio Azteca—and perhaps all of Mexico—breathed a long sigh of relief on Tuesday night.

Mexico won its first knockout stage match in 40 years, ending a long and painful drought in World Cup play. The 2–0 win at the historic venue came against a gritty, defense-minded Ecuador that would not relent until the last moment, stepping on the gas in the second half in particular. El Tri successfully weathered the storm, though, proving it has what it takes to make a historic run on home soil this summer.

The co-hosts came out red-hot from the opening whistle, and it didn’t take long for them to get on the board. Roberto Alvarado’s brilliant long ball in the 22nd minute soared over the heads of Ecuador’s regimented defensive line and sent Julián Quiñones off to the races. The 29-year-old winger drove just inside the box and blasted the ball with his right foot past goalkeeper Hernán Galindez to send the Azteca into a frenzy.

Raul Jiménez scored Mexico’s second of the night less than 10 minutes later, completing a savvy give-and-go with Quiñones at the top of the box. A quick touch and finish was all Jiménez needed to seal the deal, before sliding into a celebratory dogpile with his teammates.

Ecuador brought more fire into the second half, commanding possession and even getting a few quality looks on frame. Mexico chose to stay calm and saw out the match.

El Tri will now host the winner of Wednesday’s round of 32 match between England and DR Congo. The round of 16 bout will likewise take place at the Estadio Azteca.

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The One Thing We Can’t Ignore

El Tri is well on its way to breaking the curse. | Doug Zimmerman/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Mexico finally won its first knockout stage match since a victory over Bulgaria in the round of 16 in 1986 and technically broke the infamous “la maldición del quinto partido,” or “fifth game curse.” Nevertheless, the team’s overarching mission is not yet complete: reach the World Cup quarterfinals.

Not only did Tuesday’s dominant win bring Mexico one step closer to that mission—now just needing a victory in the round of 16—but it also proved how realistic it is for Mexico to make a quarterfinal appearance.

Sure, Mexico showed signs of its potential with a dreamy group stage, winning all three matches for the first time in the nation’s tournament history and doing so without conceding a single goal. El Tri was just one of three teams—alongside 2022 finalists Argentina and France—to achieve a perfect group stage this summer.

Still, the challenge that Ecuador presented was next-level and raised serious questions about Mexico’s capabilities, even within the hallowed walls of the Estadio Azteca. Ecuador was not only arguably the best third-place finisher, but also generally an elite defensive side that had downed European powerhouse Germany just the week before.

Mexico quickly proved, though, that it would have no difficulty poking holes in Ecuador’s defensive lines. Its efforts were not only effective, but also just absolutely stunning. The way Quiñones perfectly timed his breakaway run—stepping over the halfway line as soon as the long ball left Alvarado’s foot—proved that Mexico is not only gritty and creative like a World Cup contender, but surgical in its attack, down to the millisecond. El Tri is a true dark horse this summer and may not stop at the quarterfinal stage.

Oh, and it’s clean sheet miraculously continues. Mexico has not given up a goal at all in World Cup play this summer, the only team to achieve such a feat.

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Mexico Player Ratings vs. Ecuador (4-3-3)

Raul Jimenez was also impactful in the midfield, dropping low. | Rodrigo Oropeza/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Raúl Rangel—8.2: Came up big in the 40th minute with a brilliant save. Confident clearances off Ecuador’s corner kicks.

RB: Jorge Sánchez—7.5: Combined well with Roberto Alvarado to instigate the attack. Struggled to handle Nilson Angulo’s speed and foot skills down the flank.

CB: César Montes—7.3: The captain successfully slowed the tempo. His brilliant sliding header curbed Ecuador’s first real opportunity. Was later embarrassingly megged by John Yeboah, gifting Ecuador a shot inside the box.

CB: Johan Vásquez—7.6: A moment of indecision and lack of communication in the 75th minute almost gave Ecuador a way back into the match.

LB: Jesús Gallardo—6.8: Was largely anonymous, but not detrimental.

DM: Erik Lira—7.2: One-on-one defending was near perfection.

AM: Gilberto Mora—7.6: Came out flying and wreaked havoc in every corner of the pitch. His touches were perfect. Received a standing ovation upon his exit.

AM: Luis Romo—7.1: Ignited quick passing sequences that successfully disrupted Ecuador’s defensive block.

RW: Roberto Alvarado—8.0: His vision was remarkable. Tee’d Quiñones up perfectly with a ball over Ecuador’s defense.

ST: Raúl Jiménez—7.9: Dropped in to combine with the midfield and generate chances for Mora, Quiñones and Alvarado going forward. His upper-90 goal effectively crushed Ecuador’s spirits.

LW: Julián Quiñones—8.6: Masterful anticipation in his runs. He toed the midway line perfectly for a banger goal to send the Estadio Azteca into a frenzy.

SUB: Brian Gutiérrez (59’ for Mora)—6.4: Fumbled a potential opportunity in the 65th minute, crossing the ball right to Ecuador.

SUB: Santiago Giménez (73’ for Jiménez)—5.9: Got involved in the final third immediately.

SUB: Obed Vargas (73’ for Romo)—6.1: The youngster struggled to get on the ball.

SUB: Israel Reyes (80’ for Alvarado)—6.4: Managed the clock.

SUB: Orbelín Pineda (80’ for Quiñones)—5.9: Saw out the game.

Subs not used: Carlos Acevedo (GK), Guillermo Ochoa (GK), Mateo Chávez, Armando González, Álvaro Fidalgo, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, Luis Chávez, Alexis Vega, Guillermo Martínez, César Huerta

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Gilberto Mora looked like a seasoned veteran on Tuesday night. | Ryan Pierse/FIFA/Getty Images

• Gilberto Mora was the image of confidence and poise on Tuesday as he became the second-youngest player (17 years, 259 days) to start a World Cup knockout match, behind only Pelé (17 years, 239 days) in 1958. Taking over in the starting lineup for the likes of Álvaro Fidalgo and Brian Gutiérrez, Mora came out firing on all cylinders and almost opened Mexico’s scoring with a rocketed shot in the 16th minute that sailed just wide of the woodwork. It was a pivotal moment to rally Mexico even more. His momentum—and fitness levels—never wavered, finding himself everywhere on the pitch, whether it was dancing around Yeboah or backing Piero Hincapié into the corner. Mora interwove his runs with Quiñones on multiple occasions, which often saw Mora take up a left winger position, while Quiñones tucked in centrally.
• Although Julián Quiñones struggled to get involved initially—seemingly ball watching Mexico’s fiery attack, he quickly found his stride and put together an excellent performance. He opened the scoring himself, before combining with Jiménez for his damning finish.
• Luis Romo was the unsung hero of the night. His dynamic movements and creativity throughout the center of pitch were integral to breaking up Ecuador’s horizontal lines and granting Jiménez, Quiñones, and Mora space to exploit vertically.

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The Numbers That Explain El Tri’s Resilient Win

Mexico will need to limit the amount of corner kicks it allows. | Ryan Pierse/FIFA/Getty Images

• El Tri was more clinical in front of the net, walking away with two goals despite having just three shots on target.
• Despite holding less possession, with just 43%, Mexico was more effective in getting in dangerous positions and the final third when it did have the ball, ending the game with 15 total shots to Ecuador’s seven shots.
• El Tri needs to defend its goal line better, giving up seven corner kicks. Stronger sides will exploit this weakness moving forward.
• Mexico did win the aerial battle, winning 20 aerial duels compared to Ecuador’s 12.

Statistic	Mexico	Ecuador
Possession	43%	57%
xG	1.02	0.73
Total Shots	15	7
Shots on Target	3	1
Big Chances	2	1
Pass Accuracy	78%	84%
Fouls	10	14
Corners	3	8

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