MUNDIAL·26

Round of 32 · Wednesday, July 1 · Mexico City Stadium, Mexico City · 80,824 in the stands

kickoff 20:00 local · 15°C · 90% humidity · altitude 2,226 m

Mexico

22′ Julian QUINONES (pen)

31′ Raul JIMENEZ (pen)

2:0

Ecuador

tap a player for their match file

Mexico4-3-3
Ecuador4-4-2
Raul RANGEL7.5Jorge SANCHEZ7.1Cesar MONTES7.4Johan VASQUEZ7.4Jesus GALLARDO6.7Erik LIRA7.0Luis ROMO7.3Gilberto MORA7.3Raul JIMENEZ7.3Julian QUINONES8.1Roberto ALVARADO7.9Hernan GALINDEZ5.6Piero HINCAPIE5.5Joel ORDONEZ5.5Willian PACHO6.9Pedro VITE6.4Alan FRANCO5.8Moises CAICEDO6.5John YEBOAH6.8Enner VALENCIA5.8Gonzalo PLATA6.6Nilson ANGULO6.2
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′MEXECU

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 22′Quinones0.10 xG
  • 31′Jimenez0.12 xG
MEX 0:0 ECU0'kickoff
4' Alvarado — xG 0.03 · Blocked5' Mora — xG 0.02 · Missed6' Romo — xG 0.02 · Missed7' Jimenez — xG 0.20 · Missed14' Alvarado — xG 0.05 · Blocked15' Mora — xG 0.03 · Missed18' Yeboah — xG 0.11 · Post22' Quinones — xG 0.10 · Goal31' Jimenez — xG 0.12 · Goal40' Yeboah — xG 0.05 · Saved44' Jimenez — xG 0.08 · Missed45' Jimenez — xG 0.05 · Missed46' Alvarado — xG 0.05 · Missed51' Vite — xG 0.02 · Missed52' Mora — xG 0.02 · Blocked67' Montes — xG 0.09 · Saved67' Vasquez — xG 0.10 · Missed74' Rodriguez — xG 0.42 · Missed85' Caicedo — xG 0.01 · Missed88' Medina — xG 0.02 · Missed89' Caicedo — xG 0.12 · Blocked90 + 2' Pineda — xG 0.06 · Missed

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

MEX 0:0 ECU
0.51.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′22' Quinones — GOAL31' Jimenez — GOAL1.020.75

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

MEX 4-3-3 attack →, ← ECU 4-4-2 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1Raul RANGELRaul RANGEL2Jorge SANCHEZJorge SANCHEZ3Cesar MONTESCesar MONTES5Johan VASQUEZJohan VASQUEZ23Jesus GALLARDOJesus GALLARDO6Erik LIRAErik LIRA7Luis ROMOLuis ROMO19Gilberto MORAGilberto MORA9Raul JIMENEZRaul JIMENEZ16Julian QUINONESJulian QUINONES25Roberto ALVARADORoberto ALVARADO1Hernan GALINDEZHernan GALINDEZ3Piero HINCAPIEPiero HINCAPIE4Joel ORDONEZJoel ORDONEZ6Willian PACHOWillian PACHO15Pedro VITEPedro VITE21Alan FRANCOAlan FRANCO23Moises CAICEDOMoises CAICEDO9John YEBOAHJohn YEBOAH13Enner VALENCIAEnner VALENCIA19Gonzalo PLATAGonzalo PLATA20Nilson ANGULONilson ANGULO

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

37%
Possession
53%
1.86
Expected goals
0.47
38
Threat
62
15
Shots
7
3
On target
1
259
Passes completed
353
33
Forced turnovers
35
15.4s
Ball recovery time
11.7s
2.29
High-press phases
7.74
14
Fouls committed
10
0
Offsides
1
113 km
Distance covered
105 km
34.8 km/h
Top speed
34.5 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Mexico attack →, ← Ecuador attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 22′Julian QUINONES (Mexico) scores!!
  2. 31′Raul JIMENEZ (Mexico) scores!!
  3. 45+1′Alan FRANCO (Ecuador) is booked by the referee.
  4. ′Before the second half begins Yaimar MEDINA (in) comes off the bench to replace Alan FRANCO (out) (Ecuador)
  5. ′Before the second half begins Angelo PRECIADO (in) comes off the bench to replace Joel ORDONEZ (out) (Ecuador)
  6. 59′Brian GUTIERREZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Gilberto MORA (out) (Mexico)
  7. 59′Kevin RODRIGUEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Enner VALENCIA (out) (Ecuador)
  8. 73′Santiago GIMENEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Raul JIMENEZ (out) (Mexico)
  9. 73′Obed VARGAS (in) comes off the bench to replace Luis ROMO (out) (Mexico)
  10. 79′Jordy CAICEDO (in) comes off the bench to replace John YEBOAH (out) (Ecuador)
  11. 79′Kendry PAEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Nilson ANGULO (out) (Ecuador)
  12. 80′Orbelin PINEDA (in) comes off the bench to replace Julian QUINONES (out) (Mexico)
  13. 80′Israel REYES (in) comes off the bench to replace Roberto ALVARADO (out) (Mexico)
  14. 90+3′Kendry PAEZ (Ecuador) is booked by the referee.
  15. 90+5′Piero HINCAPIE (Ecuador) is sent off!
  16. 90+9′Moises CAICEDO (Ecuador) is booked by the referee.

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Mexico Made Ecuador's Aggression Backfire

Ecuador came to dominate: they pressed aggressively (7.7 high-press phases against Mexico's 2.3) and controlled the ball with 53% possession. But aggression in the Estadio Azteca, where Mexico are dangerous on the break, is a liability. Twice in the first half—22nd and 31st minutes—Mexico punished the space left behind. Both goals came from trifling xG (0.10 and 0.12), suggesting clinical finishing or ruthless counter-timing. Ecuador, exhausted by their own pressing, never recovered.

The numbers tell a brutal story of wasted intensity. Ecuador's high press cost them recovery time: 11.7 seconds to reset versus Mexico's 15.4, which Mexico exploited ruthlessly on the turn. Their possession (53%, 7 shots) generated xG of just 0.47. Mexico's 37% and 15 shots netted 1.86 xG and two actual goals. A big chance at 74'—xG 0.42—went begging. Piero Hincapie's red card in the 95th minute was Ecuador's final humiliation.

Ecuador's 7.7 high-press phases generated just 0.47 xG; Mexico's 2.3 phases created 1.86 and scored twice—doing less, finishing more.

22′

Mexico scored twice from turnovers in Ecuador's press (22', 31'). The game was won in nine minutes.

What Mexico needed

Cold counter-pressing beat hot pressing: low intensity (2.3 phases) and fast recovery (15.4s) turned aggression into a liability.

  • Finishing ruthlessness: 2 goals from 0.22 combined xG—clinical work in transition.
  • Recovery time discipline: 15.4s reset cycles exploited Ecuador's 11.7s turnaround deficit.
  • Energy preservation: 2.3 high-press phases kept legs sharp for breaks when it mattered most.

What Ecuador needed

Pressing intensity without precision cost them: 0.47 xG on 53% possession was never enough to win.

  • Recovery time gap: 11.7s resets versus Mexico's 15.4s reversed Ecuador's possession advantage.
  • Big chance missed: 74' (xG 0.42) would have reset the match; instead left Mexico in control.
  • High-press fatigue: 7.7 phases generated zero threat; a measured press would have preserved shape.