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World Cup Final Score: Mexico 2, France 0
 Star-Ledger
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June 17, 2010
| | Mexican players hug teammate Cuauhtemoc Blanco (10) after his penalty kick goal gives Mexico a 2-0 lead over France. (David Cannon/Getty Images) | |
France gambled and lost. Literally.
Mexican substitute Javier Hernandez beat France's attempted offside trap and calmly converted a breakaway in the 64th minute to put Mexico ahead and 37-year-old veteran Cuauhtemoc Blanco converted a penalty in the 79th minute to give Mexico a 2-0 win over France in Polokwane.
The victory pulled Mexico into a tie atop the Group A standings with Uruguay, each team having a win and a tie and four points. They will play each other in their final game to determine who will win the group. That game will also decide who finishes second and advances to the knockout round. Should the game end in a tie, then both Mexico and Uruguay would advance and France and host South Africa would be eliminated. But if one team wins, and there is a winner in the France-South Africa game, then two teams will be tied for second in the group with four points, and second place will have to be decided by a tiebreaker.
With both France and Mexico having tied their first game, both teams came in looking to step things up and play for the victory, and the teams traded chances throughout the first half, playing exciting, end-to-end soccer, with both goalkeepers, Hugo Lloris, of France, and Oscar Perez of Mexico, being extremely active early on.
Mexico went ahead when captain Rafael Marquez played a ball over the top and the French defense stepped up to try and catch Hernandez offside. But the referee's assistant kept the flag down, and Hernandez, who had entered the game in the 55th minute, was free to chest the ball down and waltz in alone against Lloris. Lloris came off his goal line to challenge Hernandez at the top of the box, but the 22-year-old, who was transferred from Chivas de Guadalajara to Manchester United in April, calmly went around Lloris and fired the ball into the empty net.
In the 62nd minute, Mexico brought on Blanco, and when Eric Abidal was called for tripping Pablo Barrera in the box in the 77th minute, Blanco got to take the kick. He drilled a perfect shot into the lower left corner, past a diving Lloris, who guessed correctly but still had no chance.
Full time: Mexico has beaten France, 2-0.
90th minute: Three minutes of added time.
79th minute: Cuauhtemoc Blanco converts the penalty for a 2-0 Mexico lead. Blanco took a long run up and hammered the ball into the left side of the net. France keeper Hugo Lloris guessed right and dove the right way, but the ball was struck too powerfully. A perfect kick, and no chance for Lloris and France.
77th minute: Penalty for Mexico! France defender Eric Abidal is called for tripping Mexico midfielder Pablo Barrera in the box!
69th minute: France substitution -- Govou is out, and Valbuena is in.
64th minute: GOOOAAALLL! Mexico! Nine minutes into his appearance, Javier Hernandez puts Mexico on the board. France gets caught trying to play the offside trap and is burned, as the linesman's flag stays down and Hernandez has a complete breakaway, one-on-one against the French keeper. Hernandez cuts around the keeper, Lloris, and slides it into the empty net. Mexico 1-0.
55th minute: Mexico substitution -- Javier Hernandez is in, to replace Juarez.
53rd minute: France's Florent Malouda gets in the left side of the box and fires a shot that is tipped over the bar by Perez, the Mexican keeper.
49th minute: Mexico's Hector Moreno gets a yellow for a tough challenge. A borderline call, possibly -- looks like the ref is taking no nonsense.
48th minute: Mexico's Juarez gets a yellow card. It's his second yellow in the tournament, and means he'll miss Mexico's third match, against Uruguay.
The second half is underway.
Halftime: 0-0, but a very entertaining first 45 minutes of football. Chances abounded at both ends. The game is being played as if both teams really are trying to get a win after being held to a draw in their first match, which they all were.
33rd minute: Barrera almost scores on his first touch, as he drives to head a cross in from the left wing, getting there a split second after France keeper Lloris. Lloris punches the ball, which bounces off Barrera's head and over the end line for a goal kick.
32nd minute: Mexico is forced to make an early substitution, bringing on Pablo Barrera for an injured Carlos Vela.
27th minute: Mexico's Salcido breaks in on the left side and fires a hard blast that France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris fists away.
12th minute: Mexico's Franco fires high from inside the arc above the penalty area. So far, a very entertaining game, going back and forth with shots from both sides keeping both goalkeepers active.
4th minute: Mexico's Guillermo Franco is yellow-carded for wasting time by standing in front of the ball on a France free kick. It's a harsh call by the referee, particularly so early in the match, but by the letter of the law, the referee is standing on solid ground.
The match is underway.
France is wearing all blue, Mexico in their familiar green shirts, with white shorts and white socks.
• • •
France and Mexico each earned a draw in their respective openers, making this match a must-win for a pair of sides with lofty expectations. If history means anything (which for the most part it doesn’t), France will have the advantage. The French are 5-0-1 against the Mexicans, although the teams haven’t faced each other in the World Cup since 1966.
France
Coming off a disheartening effort - an effort that prompted retired captain Zinedine Zidane to suggest that his former side had “no teamwork” - against Uruguay in which it was held scoreless, France will be looking to rebound against their Mexican counterparts. The French are a talented unit, but as Zidane pointed out, they’ll need to be a more cohesive group if they want to earn a needed victory.
Man to watch: Midfielder Florent Malouda fell out of favor with his manager and didn’t come on until the 75th minute. The 30-year-old needs to play up to his potential – even if he sees limited action. Striker Thierry Henry, also a part-time player at this point in his career, must step up and score goals as well.
Injuries of note: none
Mexico
The Mexicans also have something to prove after settling for a tie with the lowly South Africans in their first match. Look for them to come out with a relentless intensity as they take on the French.
Man to watch: Lost in the shuffle of star strikers Carlos Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos is an emerging young player named Javier Hernandez. The 22-year-old sensation has already scored seven goals in 13 international matches. He may prove to be an unsung hero or provide a spark for Mexico in this one.
Injuries of note: The Mexicans had some worries about whether or not captain Rafael Marquez (right calf) would be fit enough to play. But Marquez seems to have quelled those fears and is expected to play a significant role for his side.
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