Two goals by Carlos Tevez - one hugely-controversial and the other a
wonderful strike - sent Argentina through to the World Cup
quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Mexico.
The offside rule
states there should be two players between the striker and the goal -
there was not even one when Lionel Messi's ball found Tevez's head, and
then the net to put Diego Maradona's side in front.
Mexico went
into meltdown and a defensive howler by Ricardo Osorio allowed Gonzalo
Higuain to make it 2-0. It was Tevez who sewed the match up in brilliant
fashion - and legitimately this time - early in the second half with
Mexico left only to savour a stunning reply by Manchester United's new
signing Javier Hernandez.
- Argentina
v Mexico: As it happened
Two incidents within the opening 10
minutes had Argentinian hearts in mouths. First Carlos Salcido crashed
in a thunderous drive from 30 yards that Sergio Romero just touched onto
the crossbar, then an equally terrific strike by Andres Guardado
whisked agonisingly past the post.
Javier Hernandez turned away
from his marker and slammed a shot wide but then came Tevez's offside
goal and Mexico lost their heads.
First skipper Rafael Marquez
earned himself a needless booking for showing his frustration, then
there was real calamity when Osorio scuffed a pass across the edge of
his own box, Higuain seized onto the ball and kept his cool to round
Oscar Perez neatly and slide home.
Any hopes Mexico had ended soon
after the restart thanks to Tevez's 52nd-minute blistering strike into
the top corner from 25 yards out. Tevez ran to the bench for a wild
embrace with Maradona that seem to last an eternity.
It was left
to Hernandez to rescue some pride for Mexico. The 22-year-old had just
sent a header over despite being unmarked, but then he left Martin
Demichelis standing with a superb turn and lashed the ball high past
Romero to give Mexico a slim lifeline.
It probably shaded Tevez's
strike and will go down as one of the goals of the tournament.
Argentina
shut up shop after that and Mexico barely had another sniff. Messi's
increasingly desperate search for a goal continued as Perez denied him
in injury time.
Source: DSG