MIAMI — Soccer players under pressure move swiftly, and so do emotions during FIFA World Cup games. Mexicans’ rollercoaster of emotions on Thursday in Miami included crying, screaming, singing, hugging, and dancing all in the same 15 minutes.
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On opening day, all eyes were on Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, which hosted over 80,820 fans. At bars in Miami’s Wynwood, Mexicans and Mexican Americans celebrated a 2-0 victory over South Africa.
Their chant in Spanish: “¡Que viva México!”
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The “Aztec Nation” is proud to be co-hosting the first 48-team World Cup tournament with Canada and the U.S. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored the goals to move ahead with three new points in Group A.
The referee handed defender César Montes one of the game’s three red cards. Javier Aguirre, their coach, played for the national team in 1986 when Mexico hosted the World Cup and reached the quarterfinals, and he felt proud.
“We didn’t play well in the first half, but we could have gone into the break leading 3–0, and no one would have complained. We were far superior,” Aguirre told reporters after the game. “In the second half, it felt like we relaxed a bit, but starting with a win is good.”
Mexican fans ended the night by looking forward to their team’s next challenging match against South Korea at 9 p.m. on June 18. Guadalajara will be the host city.
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DATES AND TIMES
Here is the schedule of World Cup games
June 11: The Group A match, South Korea vs. Czech Republic, is at 11 p.m.
June 12: The Group B match, Canada vs. Bosnia, is at 3 p.m. and the Group D match, U.S. vs. Paraguay, is at 9 p.m.
June 13: There are three matches: The Group B, Qatar vs. Switzerland, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Haiti vs. Scotland, game is at 9 p.m.
June 14: There are five matches: The Group D, Australia vs. Turkey, game is at Midnight. The Group E, Germany vs. Curaçao, game is at 1 p.m. The Group F, The Netherlands vs. Japan, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Sweden vs. Tunisia, game is at 10 p.m.
June 15: There are four matches: The Group H, Spain vs. Cape Verde, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Egypt, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, Iran vs. New Zealand, game is at 9 p.m.
June 16: There are three matches: The Group I, France vs. Senegal, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Iraq vs. Norway, game is at 6 p.m. The Group J, Argentina vs. Algeria, game is at 9 p.m.
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June 17: There are five matches: The Group J, Austria vs. Jordan, game is at Midnight. The Group K, Portugal vs. Congo, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Croatia, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Ghana vs. Panama, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, game is at 10 p.m.
June 18: There are four matches: The Group A match, The Czech Republic vs. South Africa, is at Noon. The Group B, Switzerland vs. Bosnia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Canada vs. Qatar, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A match, Mexico vs. South Korea, is at 9 p.m.
June 19: There are four matches: The Group D, U.S. vs. Australia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Haiti, game is at 8:30 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. Paraguay, game is at 11 p.m.
June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.
June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at Midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.
June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.
June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.
June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.
June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.
June 26: There are six matches: The Group I, Norway vs. France, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Senegal vs. Iraq, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at 8 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Spain, game is at 8 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Belgium, game is at 11 p.m. The Group G, Egypt vs. Iran, game is at 11 p.m.
June 27: There are six matches: The Group L, Panama vs. England, game is at 5 p.m. The Group L, Croatia vs. Ghana, game is at 5 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Portugal, game is at 7:30 p.m. The Group K, Congo vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 7:30 p.m. The Group J, Algeria vs. Austria, game is at 10 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Argentina, game is at 10 p.m.
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June 28: There is a match at 3 p.m.
June 29: There are three matches at 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.
June 30: There are three matches at 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m.
July 1: There are three matches at noon, 4 p.m., and 9 p.m.
July 2: There are three matches at 3 p.m., 7 p.m., and 11 p.m.
July 3: There are three matches at 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.
July 4: There are two matches at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
July 5: There are two matches at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
July 6: There are two matches at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
July 7: There are two matches at Noon and 4 p.m.
July 9: There is a quarter-final match at 4 p.m.
July 10: There is a quarter-final match at 3 p.m.
July 11: There are two quarter-final matches at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
July 14: The fan festival is closed. There is a semi-final match at 3 p.m.
July 15: There is a semi-final match at 3 p.m.
July 18: The third-place play-off match is at 5 p.m.
July 19: The final match is at 3 p.m.
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Track FIFA World Cup groups
- Group A
- Group B
- Group C
- Group D
- Group E
- Group F
- Group G
- Group H
- Group I
- Group J
- Group K
- Group L
