Mexico opened their home World Cup with the kind of controlled, efficient performance the Estadio Azteca crowd demanded. Two goals, a dominant possession share, and a South Africa side reduced to nine men before the final whistle: Javier Aguirre's team did the job, and Group A is up and running in Mexico City.
The match was settled in its earliest moments. Julián Quiñones got in behind the South Africa backline just nine minutes in, finishing from an Erik Lira assist, and that early blow knocked much of the shape out of Hugo Broos's cautious 5-3-2. Once ahead, Mexico had little incentive to gamble and plenty of reason to hold the ball. They did exactly that, racking up 519 passes at 90 per cent accuracy and keeping 61 per cent of possession across the ninety minutes. South Africa, by contrast, managed just three shots in total, only two on target, and an expected-goals figure of 0.07 that tells its own damning story about their ambition in attack.
Aguirre's 4-1-4-1 was neat and purposeful, with Roberto Alvarado the most consistently dangerous of the midfield four. He drove forward with pace and recycled possession quickly, linking the lines in a way that made South Africa's back five look permanently stretched despite their numerical advantage at the back. Raúl Jiménez led the line with the authority of a man settled in the role, holding up play and pulling defenders out of position until his withdrawal after 76 minutes.
The game's pivotal moment arrived four minutes into the second half. Siphephelo Sithole was shown a straight red card on 49 minutes, leaving South Africa to defend with ten men against a side that already had the run of the park. Broos's defensive block, which had offered at least structural resistance in the first half, was now required to absorb pressure for more than forty further minutes with a man short and no genuine outlet.
Alvarado's influence told again on 67 minutes when his assist presented Jiménez with the chance to put the result beyond doubt. The veteran forward finished to make it 2-0 and the second half became a question of clock management rather than competitive football. Mexico's neat, patient build-up had worn South Africa down gradually, and the second goal was the inevitable consequence.
South Africa's evening deteriorated in the final ten minutes. Substitute Themba Zwane, on the pitch since the 67th minute, was sent off in the 84th to leave his side with nine men. César Montes was then dismissed in stoppage time for Mexico, the only real sour note of the home side's night, though it will cost him the next group fixture.
The caveat on Mexico's display is in the underlying numbers. Sixteen attempts produced just four on target. An expected-goals tally of 1.44 suggests the winning margin owes something to South Africa's disciplinary implosion as much as sustained Mexican pressure. Against South Korea and Czech Republic, who complete Group A, Aguirre's side will need to manufacture chances more efficiently and sustain intensity without the benefit of early numerical superiority.
For now, though, the Azteca has its opening win. Quiñones provided the early spark the home crowd needed, Jiménez supplied the finishing weight, and Alvarado tied it all together. Three points banked on home soil; the harder arithmetic comes later in the group.