France 0 Mexico 2

France Mexico Pretoria/Tshwane 20.30 SA Time Thursday June 17

The first half belonged to Mexico. Carlos Vela (8’), Carlos Salcido (18’, 27’) had half chances. However it was Malouda’s strike after the break, saved by Oscar Perez, which provided the best chance of the match, prompting Javier Aguirre to reshuffle his team, sending on Javier Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco for Juarez and Franco.

The super subs scored the two goals. Javier Hernandez (FIFA man of the match) received a perfectly timed pass from Marquez on 64’, beating the offside trap, danced round the prostrate lloris and scored Mexico’s first, on the way to the country’s first-ever victory over France.

On 79’, 2-0. Abidal gave away a childish penalty against Barrera (also a sub) and Blanco scored the perfect penalty, hitting the ball hard and low into the left-hand side of the goal, just outside the reach of the diving French keeper.

Line-ups

France: Lloris, Sagna, Abidal, Gallas, Ribery, Govou (Valbuena), Evra, Toulalan, Malouda, Diaby, Anelka (Gignac)

Mexico: O. Perez, F. Rodriguez, C. Salcido, R. Marquez, R. Osorio, G. Torrado, G. Franco (Blanco), C. Vela (Barrera), H. Moreno, E. Juarez (Hernandez), G. dos Santos