In must-win match against Ecuador, Mexico looks to advance with help of its fans

7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred MEXICO CITY — Mexico advances to the second round of the World Cup backed by its strong record in the group stage and a formidable fortress — Azteca Stadium — where it will host Ecuador on Tuesday at 6 p.m. PDT in a knockout match airing on Fox and Telemundo. El Tri became the first Mexican team to win all three of its group stage matches at a World Cup — a perfect finish accompanied by fan support rarely seen before, with more than 80,000 packing Azteca Stadium for two of its games and more than 800,000 surrounding El Ángel de la Independencia statue to celebrate wins. Coach Javier Aguirre’s third stint leading the national team, which began in 2024 amid skepticism, has sparked World Cup fever in the streets of Mexico City, which have filled with fans wearing green jerseys, along with their dogs, cats and even ducks decked out in the national team colors. “We’re motivated, but nothing is decided yet,” Mexico forward Armando González said. “Earning points is useless because now comes the important part — do-or-die matches. We’re focused on that.” Mexico’s Armando González controls the ball in front of South Africa’s Ime Okon during on a World Cup match on June 11 at Azteca Stadium. (Eduardo Verdugo / Ap Photo/eduardo Verdugo) The winner of the match will face the winner of the contest between England and Congo on July 5 at Azteca Stadium. Mexico has also been solid on defense, keeping three clean sheets while scoring six goals. “We respect all our opponents,” said Mexico defender Jesús Gallardo, who sat out the last group stage match against Czechia. “We know this is the World Cup and every team is playing to win. We’ve won our three matches, and we’re proud of that. But we haven’t won anything yet. Ecuador has played well. We know they’re a very dynamic, very strong team.” Erik Lira, Raúl Jiménez and Brian Gutiérrez will join Gallardo returning to the lineup after sitting out Mexico’s last match. Gutiérrez had a yellow card and was held out against Czechia to avoid a second yellow card and suspension. Gilberto Mora, 17, started in place of Gutiérrez and had a tremendous performance. “We have to focus on what we do on the field; we want the fans to cheer us on,” Gallardo said. “We want to bring them a lot of joy.” Following the convincing 3-0 victory over Czechia while resting some starters, the atmosphere on the Mexican team has been very relaxed, with several videos showing the players joking around with each other. Some of them have been training together for nearly two months because Aguirre arranged a monthlong training camp ahead of the World Cup. Mexico rolled to a 3-0 win over Czechia and celebrated Memo Ochoa playing in his sixth World Cup during a special night at Azteca Stadium. “That’s why these past few months have gone by so quickly. Even though they’re always joking around, we know that we have a brother right beside us who would give his life for us,” González said. On the other side, Ecuador arrives after advancing as one of the best third-place finishers, having closing Group E competition with four points — a stark contrast to its performance in the South American qualifiers, where Ecuador finished second only to world champion Argentina. At the World Cup, Ecuador began the tournament with a tough last-minute loss to Ivory Coast and then failed to score against debutant Curacao. But when Ecuador had its back against the wall and needed to beat Germany in the final group-stage match, it pulled off a stunning upset, defeating the German team 2-1 to secure its spot in the next round. That inconsistency makes Ecuador a wild card. Mexico’s Luis Romo celebrates with Jesus Gallardo, Erik Lira and Johan Vasquez after scoring against South Korea during a World Cup match at Guadalajara Stadium on June 18. (Silvia Izquierdo / Ap Photo/silvia Izquierdo) Advertisement “That’s what life is all about — having faith, having confidence. The team is very united,” said Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador’s Argentine coach. “We’ve always remained calm and cautious in the face of adversity. “The team is united, obviously full of enthusiasm and energy — like all national teams — but also tired, especially due to the schedule. Still, that’s no excuse. We’re driven by enthusiasm and the desire to make history; we’ll build our efforts on these foundations.” Ecuador has also had to move quickly to plan for the match against Mexico. Following Thursday’s victory, Ecuador didn’t know it would be facing Mexico until Saturday morning. The team tried to travel to Mexico City on Sunday, but it ran into logistical problems and had to do so on Monday. “Traveling to the Azteca Stadium is goin

In must-win match against Ecuador, Mexico looks to advance with help of its fans

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In must-win match against Ecuador, Mexico looks to advance with help of its fans

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