Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 and moved into the World Cup last 16, so the answer to when does England play next in the World Cup now runs through DR Congo on Wednesday. If England win that match, their next opponent would be Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the last 16.
Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez
Julian Quinones opened the scoring on 22 minutes, and Raul Jimenez added Mexico’s second goal before the interval. Javier Aguirre’s side turned that into a clean route through the group stage, and the numbers around the win are hard to miss: Mexico have four wins, eight goals and none conceded in this run.
The match never shifted away from that early edge. Once Quinones struck, Ecuador had to chase the game, and Jimenez’s goal before halftime left them needing a response that never came.
Piero Hincapie’s stoppage-time red
Piero Hincapie was sent off in stoppage time after an altercation with Santiago Gimenez. The Ecuador defender appeared to cover his mouth while speaking before the straight red was shown, and that finished off a night that had already gone Mexico’s way.
Ecuador’s response after the break lacked conviction even though Mexico had only just taken a 2-0 lead and later lost Hincapie to a red card. That left the result settled well before the final whistle, with Mexico already through and Ecuador out.
Azteca Stadium in the last 16
England now sit one win away from making the picture even sharper. Beat DR Congo on Wednesday and they would face Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the last 16, a matchup that only exists because Mexico handled Ecuador and locked in their place in the knockout round.
Mexico’s home record adds another layer to that path. They have lost only twice in 89 competitive matches at the Azteca Stadium, and if England do get through, that is the ground waiting for them.
