2026-06-19 10:13:04
Javier Aguirre praised the “maturity” of his side as Mexico became the first team to secure their place in the World Cup knockout stage.
The team beat South Korea 1-0 to follow last week’s 2-0 victory over South Africa to seal their progression out of Group A, but the coach admitted the game wasn’t always a pleasant watch.
He said afterwards: “It was a quite a tactical match and hard to digest for the fans.
“The wins speak of our maturity as a team. We were caught off guard before Rangel’s save but otherwise this speaks of a team that knows how to handle the game.”
This is Aguirre’s third World Cup with Mexico and he thinks he has also matured and become a more “serene” manager.
He reflected: “I used to be more stringent.
“I’m calmer, more serene. For instance, I don’t mind them using their smart phones all the time; last time I was in a battle with them.”
Meanwhile, although a draw with final opponents South Africa will still take South Korea through to the next round, coach Hong Myung-bo admitted he was disappointed with their performance against Mexico.
He said: “Today’s result is disappointing.
“The mistake we made was unfortunate but we shouldn’t be discouraged because we will prepare better for the next match.”
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