Rafael Marquez goal ushered a goal surge for Mexico against Croatia 3-1

Andres Guardado scored the second goal for Mexico

Yahoo Sports

By BRETT MARTEL (AP Sports Writer)

RECIFE, Brazil (AP) -- One of the first things Miguel Herrera did when he became Mexico's fourth coach in a year was call Rafael Marquez and ask the 35-year-old defender known as ''the boss'' to return to the national side as captain.

On Monday, the world saw why.

Marquez's pivotal goal from a header in the 72nd minute ignited a scoring burst, and Mexico surged into the World Cup's knockout stage for a sixth straight time with a 3-1 triumph over Croatia.

''I did not hesitate one minute after my talk with him to appoint him captain,'' Herrera said of Marquez, now in his fourth World Cup. ''He's had many achievements in his career, personally, but he's also provided leadership to the team, that soundness, and that is why they call him the boss.''

Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier ''Chicharito'' Hernandez scored in a 10-minute span in the second half, dooming a talented Croatia side to elimination from the group stage.

The Croats had to win to advance and held the bulk of possession, but had trouble seriously threatening goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who kept out all efforts until an 87th-minute consolation goal from Ivan Perisic.

Mexico entered the game needing only a draw, but played aggressively and looked dangerous in attack even before breaking through. The result gave Mexico a second-place finish behind Brazil in Group A and set up a second-round meeting with Group B winner the Netherlands.

''We overcame the first hurdle,'' Miguel Herrera said, adding that the team would dine with their families in Recife later Monday night. ''We're going to celebrate tonight but tomorrow we have to start thinking of our match with the Netherlands.''

Marquez, who had scored in Germany in 2006 and South Africa four years ago, made it three straight World Cups with a goal by beating Croatia defender Vedran Corluka to head home Hector Herrera's corner.

''They wanted him to retire, and look at him,'' Guardado said. ''He plays like he's 23''

Three minutes later, Guardado found the net with a hard, left-footed, one-time shot after a cross from Oribe Peralta.

Then in the 82nd, Hernandez, the popular Manchester United striker who has been a second-half substitute in all three of Mexico's matches, scored with a header after Herrera's corner had glanced off the head of Marquez.

''Mexico was equal in the first half. We tried to (attack) and left spaces in the second half,'' Croatia defender Danijel Pranjic said. ''They scored on set plays and Marquez killed us.''

Croatia didn't score until it was too late, with Perisic sliding a shot past Ochoa after being set up by a neat backheel pass from Ivan Rakitic.

''It's a moot point whether we should have kept it nil-nil until the last 10 minutes and then go all out on the attack,'' Croatia coach Niko Kovac said. ''We decided to attack earlier, but it wasn't successful.''

Croatia's late goal was the first Mexico has conceded in the World Cup, but ''El Tri'' hardly seemed to mind when the final whistle sounded and a lively, heavily Mexican crowd in Arena Pernambuco erupted.

''Today we felt as if we were playing at home in Mexico,'' Miguel Herrera said.

Mexico appeared to be laboring through a downspell before this World Cup. It struggled just to qualify out of CONCACAF and fired three coaches in a year's time before Miguel Herrera rescued Mexico's hopes. El Tri made it to Brazil as CONCACAF's fourth team after soundly beating New Zealand in a last-chance qualifier.

Marquez was quick to credit his energetic coach for unifying the national team in a way he'd never seen before.

''Officials, the coaches, the players have shown this unity and it is quite important,'' Marquez said. ''We've shown this on the pitch and off, and that is why we have such a sound, robust group. We get along very well. ... We're all united. We're working together, and therefore you work comfortably, with joy.''

Known as a coach of the people for the way he engages fans on social media and at times in public, Herrera implored the Mexico faithful to ''stay together'' and sing the national anthem ''like never before.''

 

Mexican fans, whose green jerseys distinguished them as the overwhelming majority in the crowd, belted out a thunderous rendition.

Croatia players were heckled each time they took a corner kick, as was goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa when he touched the ball.

Mexico's counterattacks only further enlivened the crowd, particularly a sizzling 25-yard shot by Hector Herrera that rattled the crossbar in the 16th minute.

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Lineups:

Croatia: Stipe Pletikosa, Sime Vrsaljko (Mateo Kovacic, 58), Danijel Pranjic (Nikica Jelavic, 74), Ivan Perisic, Verdan Corluka, Dejan Lovren, Ivan Rakitic, Luka Modric, Darijo Srna, Mario Mandzukic, Ivica Olic (Ante Rebic, 69).

Mexico: Guillermo Ochoa, Francisco Rodriguez, Rafael Marquez, Hector Moreno, Miguel Layun, Paul Aguilar, Jose Vazquez, Andres Guardado (Marco Fabian, 84), Hector Herrera, Giovani Dos Santos (Javier Hernandez, 62), Oribe Peralta (Carlos Pena, 79).

Brazil wins opener

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Brazil just about got past Croatia in the opening game of the World Cup thanks to two goals from Neymar, but they required a highly dubious penalty to do so.

If opening games are anything to go by, then we could be in for a cracker of a World Cup. Brazil-Croatia had everything despite the eventual victory for the hosts, with Croatia taking a shock lead in an enthralling encounter before Neymar scored two goals to get his country into the lead, albeit with the aid of a highly debatable penalty, before Oscar rounded off the victory.

Brazil will be relieved to have gotten the win, but there will surely be questions asked of Luiz Felipe Scolari's side after they were extremely fortunate to do so. The hosts saw almost all of the ball, but they were caused major problems by a Croatia side that looked to play on the break and attacked in a very primitive fashion. Brazil will certainly need to improve if they are to have any hope of winning the tournament.

After initially looking utterly terrified during the anthems, Brazil started off on the front foot, but didn't have it all their own way. Croatia had already sent one warning signal earlier through Ivica Olic breaking down the left, and they came within an inch of scoring as Ivan Perisic's cross from the right found Olic, who headed wide when he really ought to have scored.

Brazil recovered from their nervy start to begin to pour forwards in attacking the Croatian goal, but the hosts struggled to make much of an impact. A couple of minutes later, the entire country was stunned. Olic once again got clear down the left and cut a low cross into the area, which eluded both Nikica Jelavic and the Brazil centre-backs, eventually being prodded across the line by Marcelo, who scored the first own-goal in Brazil's history, threatening a major upset and party-pooper in the process.

The shock seemed to jolt Brazil into life, however, and they soon swarmed forward in an all-out assault to find a goal back. First Oscar's cross only just evaded Hulk, before Paulinho forced Pletikosa into a fine save, but Croatia were extremely fortunate to survive when Neymar's attacking run left their defense strewn across the area. The ball fell to Oscar, who hammered in a left-footed shot from 25 yards, but Pletikosa, despite being unsighted, recovered to push it away and keep his side in front.

Neymar, perhaps showing signs of frustration, controversially ended up in the book shortly afterwards for clattering Luka Modric with his forearm, with the possibility of a red card only narrowly avoided. And perhaps predictably, a player some say should not have been on the pitch was the one responsible for finding a way through. The Barcelonaforward advanced through the centre and, with options left and right and defenders backing off, opted to go it alone. His shot from distance was somewhat scuffed, but still well-placed, and Pletikosa was too slow in getting across, allowing it to creep just past his outstretched arm and in off the base of the post, causing celebrations more of relief than jubilation around the stadium.