Jun 23, 2018 4 min read

The criticism of Mexico’s national team heading into the World Cup was loud and scathing. The answer has been emphatic.

The Mexicans won their second straight match at the tournament, beating South Korea 2-1 Saturday to move ever closer to a spot in the round of 16.

“We didn’t listen to the criticism,” said Javier Hernandez, one of the scorers against South Korea. “It was just noise.”

Mexico opened its World Cup by upsetting defending champion Germany 1-0. A second victory on Saturday gives it six points and a chance to win Group F on Wednesday when the team faces Sweden.

“We want the Mexican people to enjoy this. We are going to enjoy it,” Hernandez said. “But as of tomorrow we will be working hard thinking about Sweden and regardless of the results of the matches against Germany and South Korea, we are going to go out there to get the three points.”

Hernandez and Carlos Vela scored a goal each at Rostov Arena. Vela converted from the penalty spot in the 26th minute after Jang Hyun-soo handled the ball while trying to stop a cross from Andres Guardado.

Hernandez added the second in the 66th, scoring his 50th goal for Mexico. He hit the ball low past goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo after collecting a pass from Hirving Lozano.

“We have beaten two brilliant and complicated teams, Germany and South Korea,” Hernandez said. “Our talent and hard work have paid off.”

Son Heung-min scored a consolation goal for South Korea in injury time, sending a powerful shot past goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

Mexico relied on keeping possession and long-range shots, with a powerful attempt from Guardado forcing an athletic save from Jo in the second half. A volley from Vela skimmed the bar minutes later.

Mexican fans avoided using a chant, which is considered to be homophobic by FIFA, against the opposing goalkeeper. The chant earned the country’s soccer federation a fine after the previous match.

Germany 2, Sweden 1: Toni Kroos scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time from outside the penalty area, and 10-man Germany rallied to beat Sweden 2-1 to stay alive at the World Cup.

Kroos’ goal came off a set play after a foul in the closing minutes of stoppage time. Kroos tapped the ball to Marco Reus, who set it up for Kroos to curl the right-footed shot to the far post. Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen couldn’t get his hand on it.

“The fact Toni Kroos put it away is just incredible,” Reus said. “He’s shown that talent on previous occasions but really in this case it was practically the very last opportunity to win this match.”

Reus scored in the 48th minute to pull Germany even after Ola Toivonen’s goal in the 32nd put the Swedes in front. Germany finished with 10-men after Jerome Boateng was sent off following a second yellow card with about 10 minutes remaining.

“Happy of course. It was a tough game again today for us,” Kroos said. “We suffered. … If you don’t score an early goal and we have the chances then it’s going to be difficult until the end. It was, but now of course we’re happy because I think we also deserved the victory.”

Belgium 5, Tunisia 2: Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard scored two goals each in a dominant Belgium display, leading their team over Tunisia 5-2 in the highest scoring game of the World Cup.

The Red Devils were rampant at times and rested both forwards in the second half for tougher tests ahead. A spot in the round of 16 is almost certain after an opening 3-0 win over Panama.

Belgium had a two-goal lead within 16 minutes. Hazard scored with a sixth-minute penalty kick he earned by being tripped, and Lukaku angled a low, left-foot shot into the corner of the opposing goal.

The Tunisians cut the lead when defender Dylan Bronn headed in a goal in the 18th minute, but Belgium wasn’t done.

Lukaku clipped a right-foot shot over advancing goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha to score, and Hazard ran on to a long pass in the 51st, flicked the ball around Ben Mustapha and shot into an empty net.