Mexico Manager Javier Aguirre Lauds Tricolor's Dominant Performance

Mexico Manager Javier Aguirre Lauds Tricolor's Dominant Performance

Mexico won 2-0 over France in match Javier Aguirre said might have been the best football his team has played.

Mexico were faced with a tough challenge on several different levels. France were a quality opponent that stood in the way of a possible second-round berth - or at least inching close to one - and disaster.

But El Tri showed their true colors, Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said. Before a large contingent of Mexico supporters in Polokwane, South Africa, Mexico convincingly beat France 2-0 and have a foot in the second round.

"Mexico showed their face, and I want to thank the people who came here," Aguirre told Mexican daily Record. "We owed them a performance like this one."

Mexico needed a victory to make their path to the knockout rounds seem more secure than it had been. A draw would have meant a must-win over Uruguay on Tuesday while a loss would have spelled doom. Ultimately, though, Mexico won a game that may have been one of the most important in recent history.


"It was tremendously important to have won and to have beaten France - they are not just another team," Aguirre told Mexican daily Record.

Javier Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored Mexico's goals as France hardly had any buildup in the match.

However, Aguirre said that despite the victory there was some work to be done. Mexico and Uruguay meet in a match that will determine the group winner. However, if one team loses, it could still mean a trip home for one of the two Latin American sides.

"We still have not done anything yet," Aguirre cautioned. "We have not yet qualified mathematically and hopefully we can close out the group stage well."

Perhaps having fallen short of expectations against South Africa, El Tri were more determined to win and put on a good show against les Bleus. Whatever the case, Mexico did just that.