A Still-Fuming Sweden Torches Mexico, Wins Group F

So much for this being a match for survival.

With a myriad of possible outcomes involving all sortsa combinations for who's gonna emerge from Group F as Round of 16 qualifiers, most figured top-spot Germany would claim one bracket position.

Sweden and Mexico would be left to battle it out for the other.

The Blågult, still seething from their controversial loss to die Mannschaft, didn't really care about all that. Dudes were determined to be the masters of their own fate as much as they could.

 

When all was rent asunder, they'd done just that with a 3-0 annihilation of El Tri. However, this victory by itself didn't guarantee them another game.

Late in the match, though, it was Mexico doing the scoreboard sniffing, big time. Learning that South Korea had stunned Germany ...

 

... the pain of this onslaught was reduced to a mere sting. El Tri was advancing, too.

Thus, happiness was bursting forth everywhere in the weirdly unique Ekaterinburg Stadium.

Mexico has impressed in Russia with its speed and newfound organization. The former appeared in an ironic way when, just 15 seconds after kickoff, Jesús Gallardo received the fastest yellow card in World Cup history for an aerial ambush on Ola Toivonen.

 

The match was good; both teams were aggressive. Sweden was pressing more, forcing Guillermo Ochoa to save Mexico many times.

Before the end of the first half, VAR was called in order to review a possible penalty for Sweden committed by Javier Hernández. However, it did not happen.

The Blågult likely figured that was par for the course, given their experience in the German game.

From the second half's outset, Sweden knew they had to do more in order to go through, and they did.

In the 50th minute, dudes showed what they came for. After a bad shot from Viktor Claesson, the ball fell to Ludwig Augustinsson, who launched a rocket to beat Ochoa and notch his first goal for his country.

12 minutes later, the second goal came in a good, old fashioned, non-VAR penalty, which captain Andreas Granqvist finished with class:

Mexico was completely lost after that.

It showed in the 74th minute, when Edson Álvarez accidentally handled the ball into his own goal:

This group's been wacky from the outset, what with controversial calls and trash talking on the sideline, so why would the post-game actions here be normal?

Sure, Swedish players were understandably celebrating its achievement with their supporters, but Mexico was seeking to share their joy with South Koreans everywhere.

 

It's amazing how the World Cup can bring so much of the world together.