South Africa 1-1 Mexico – Match Recap – World Cup – 11 June 2010
The opening match of the FIFA 2010 World Cup was the host nation South Africa taking on CONCACAF side Mexico. A host nation has never lost an opening match but Mexico could provide a tough test for South Africa. Would South Africa get a win or would Mexico start off with a win over the host country? A recap of the match along is below.
South Africa Mexico Recap
Mexico would dominate most of the match but struggle to convert chances as the opening match ended in a 1-1 draw. The first 45 were almost all for Mexico but they simply couldn’t convert chances and South Africa would hang on defensively.
The second half was much more wide open as Mexico continued to push forward and South Africa looked for counterattacking opportunities. The home side would strike first as they caught the Mexican defense on a counter and Siphiwe Tshbalala scored on a fantastic shot inside the box. The lead wouldn’t though as Mexico responded in the 79th minute with a Rafael Marquez goal to make it 1-1.
Both sides would get some chances in the final 10 or so minute with the best for South Africa. Katlego Mphela would get a shot past the Mexican goalkeeper (Perez) in the final minutes but it hit off the post. The match would eventually end in a 1-1 draw and both sides chances of making it the knockout stage in decent shape.
Match Stats
South Africa
Mexico
| 10(3) | Shots (on Goal) | 16(3) |
| 17 | Fouls | 13 |
| 4 | Corner Kicks | 5 |
| 4 | Offsides | 6 |
| 35% | Time of Possession | 65% |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 2 | Saves | 2 |
[...] South Africa 1-1 Mexico – Video Highlights and Recap – World Cup – 11 June 2010 “The opening match of the FIFA 2010 World Cup was the host nation South Africa taking on CONCACAF side Mexico. A host nation has never lost an opening match but Mexico could provide a tough test for South Africa. Would South Africa get a win or would Mexico start off with a win over the host country? A full recap of the match along with video highlights are below.” (The 90th Minute) [...]