Mexico Edges South Korea 1-0 to Seal First Place in Group A

Mexico opened its World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over South Korea in Guadalajara, securing first place in Group A. The hosts took advantage of home support and the pressure of playing in front of more than 130 million Mexican fans, which had been described before the tournament as one of their biggest challenges.

Luis Romo scored the only goal in the 50th minute after capitalizing on a mistake by South Korean defender Kim Song-gyu. The result gave Javier Aguirre’s side three points and a major step toward the round of 16, which Mexico has previously reached only when hosting the tournament.

Thousands of fans in green filled Guadalajara as Mexico handled a strong opponent without suspended defender César Montes, whose place was filled successfully by Edson Álvarez. The team showed it could cope with quality opposition even with that absence.

South Korea, which came into the match buoyed by its comeback against the Czech Republic, again struggled against a North American opponent. The result leaves the Koreans needing to finish the job in their final Group A match if they want to reach the knockout stage for a second straight World Cup.