itsbeautifuloutside

Rafael Marquez set a new record for being the first to captain his nation at 4 World Cups. Well done sir! His team certainly looked up for it. Both teams sang a pretty good anthem but it was Mexico fastest out of the blocks and Asoou Ekotto et al were soon hacking the ball away from their goal.

As early as the 3rd minute we got a portent of things to come when Mexico’s cross clearly deflected off a defender yet a goal kick was awarded. Mexico’s wing backs were getting forward at every opportunity and whether by accident or design Cameroon were camped on the edge of their box. The boy Layun had the first serious shot on goal on 7 minutes but hit it straight at the keeper. A minute later Herrera tried his luck but blasted his shot horribly wide.

On 10 minutes Dos Santos volleyed home a right wing cross but celebrations were cut short by the lino’s flag. Replays showed the #10 was onside when the ball was played in. On 13 minutes Peralta got clear but was tripped. Fortunately for Cameroon the offside flag was again held aloft and this time it looked a good decision.

On 15 minutes Cameroon got forward and won a corner. They too got the ball into the net but again an offside flag was waved and their effort was rightly cancelled out. Then Eto’o threatened but Moreno slid in with a timely challenge. From the corner Mbia headed well wide but play had already been stopped for some imaginary infringement.
Cameroon were now competing and, after Song recovered from the impact of a high boot, they broke down the left. Assou Ekotto’s low cross was met by Eto’o. He rather scuffed his shot but it bounced up and away off a post with Ochoa grasping at thin air.

On 23 minutes a further Cameroon corner caused mayhem in the Mexico box. The ball pinged around until lashed wide of target. Despite this sustained pressure Cameroon have only 40% possession during the first quarter.

On 26 minutes Aguilar was upended by Chopou Moting who somehow avoided a yellow. Guardado launched the ball to the back stick where Marquez got in Moreno’s way and headed wide. The officials were not helping the game flow. It was stopped for the slightest misdemeanour and what with the torrential rain it can’t have been much fun to watch.

On 28 minutes a left wing corner was swung into the Cameroon box, flicked off a defender and Dos Santos stooped to head home. Again the flag went up and the game’s second goal was wrongly chalked off. These officials were genuinely piss-poor.

Another foul by Mbia on Guardado gave Mexico a free-kick but Song cleared. Mexico were forcing Cameroon back and the Africans sometimes had a string of 6 or 7 players strung across their box. On 39 Mbia again decked Guardado and again got away with it.

On the touchline, the Mexican coach was doing his nut. So much so that the referee was obliged to walk over and ask him to calm down on 42 minutes. As the first half ended Peralta again broke beyond the defence and was flagged for offside yet again. Half time arrived - 0-0 and not much entertainment to be had.

The Cameroon full back Djeugoue had been run ragged by Layun and did not appear after the break. His spot was claimed by Nounkeu.

The game looked similar to the first half with Mexico driving forward but the second period was played at a distinctly slower pace. On 47 minutes Peralta was put clear but Itandje stood up and blocked the shot with his legs. Another “professional foul” went unpunished when song escaped a card for his foul on Dos Santos.

For all their adventure in the opposite half, Mexico looked rather uncomfortable defending. On 51 they failed to break up an attack which saw Choupo Moting with a glorious chance which he fired straight at Ochoa.

There followed a niggly period with both sides committing lazy fouls. Marquez then found Layun with a diagonal pass but the wing-back’s cross deflected kindly to the keeper. On 57 minutes the referee finally waved a card for Moreno’s innocuous challenge. Assou Ekotto’s free kick bounced off the wall and the resulting corner was cleared.

Back down the other end Guardado played a brace of quite awful balls into the box failing to find a colleague on either occasion. A minute later Mexico scored.
A sweet pass found Dos Santos running into the box. His firm, low shot was scrambled away by Itandje but the rebound was stoked into the corner by Peralta. The Mexicans looked for a flag, there was none so they were able to celebrate. 1-0 Mexico.

The lead should have doubled within 3 minutes but when Guardado played in Herrera with just the keeper to beat he failed to control the ball. The next Cameroon attack saw Eto’o crowded out. The striker went down and for all the world it looked as if he was taking a rest. Then Assou Ekotto over-hit a cross and on 68 minutes more substitutions followed.

The final phase saw Cameroon doing a bit more attacking but some poor final passes and dogged blocking saw the Mexicans stay ahead. On 76 minutes Cameroon gained their first yellow card (for Nounkeu on Fabian) but his trip was no worse than much that had preceded it.

Layun missed with a really dreadful shot at one end then Cameroon wasted a corner won by Eto’o who by now had Webo alongside him. On 81 minutes Hernandez played a sweet ball for Fabian but Nounkeu swept him and the ball away.

In injury time Cameroon pushed on and Ochoa was finally required to make a proper save to keep out Moukandjo’s header. Then Mexico broke out and Hernandes missed an absolute sitter that should have wrapped it up. But Mexico held on for a 1-0 victory.

Mexico were worthy winners. They were tactically more astute than Cameroon and their use of wing-backs and midfield runners were a constant threat. Dos Santos may have been denied 2 perfectly sound goals but at least he gets my vote as Man of the Match.

If the Croats were watching this, my guess is they’ll be fancying their chances of getting out of Group A.