Mexico edges Australia 1-0 ahead of World Cup roster cutoff

Mexico Beats Australia in Friendly Match at Rose Bowl Stadium

A friendly soccer match between Mexico and Australia took place at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, with Mexico emerging victorious 1-0. The match was played under simulated World Cup conditions, including cooling breaks for players.

The winning goal was scored by Johan Vasquez in the 28th minute from a set piece, giving Mexico the lead. Despite a better second half from Australia, Mexico held on to their advantage. The Mexican team made nine changes from the starting lineup that beat Ghana 2-0 in a previous friendly match.

Australia’s coach, Popovic, made four substitutions during the match, including substitute Kai Trewin’s through-ball that found Ajdin Hrustic in the area. However, Hrustic’s shot was blocked by Mexico’s goalkeeper, Raul Rangel.

The match included mid-half drinks breaks and 11 substitutions for each team, as permitted under World Cup rules. The teams also made liberal use of their substitution quota, with Mexico making five changes in the 60th minute and Australia following suit with four changes eight minutes later.

Mexico will play South Africa, South Korea, and the Czech Republic in the upcoming World Cup, while Australia will face Turkey, the US, and Paraguay. All participating nations must submit their 26-man World Cup squads to FIFA by Monday for the tournament, which begins on June 11.

Source: Al Jazeera