Uruguay through as group winners

Mexico 0
Uruguay 1
Suarez 43

Luis Suarez fired Uruguay into the last 16 of the World Cup as winners of Group A after a 1-0 win over Mexico yesterday.

Despite the defeat, the Mexicans also progressed, having edged hosts South Africa out of the runners-up spot on goal difference.

Suarez's header just before half-time settled a full-blooded contest which belied fears that the two sides - who kicked off knowing a draw would see both of them through - would decline to make a fight of it.

Uruguay were superior throughout and, with better finishing, would have won more comfortably, although Mexico also had their moments, notably when Andres Guardado's strike crashed against the bar.

A feisty opening period might easily have ended with Uruguay building up the kind of lead that would have given South Africa hope of snatching second place.

They should have taken a sixth-minute lead after a fluffed clearance by Hector Moreno left Suarez with only goalkeeper Oscar Perez to beat but the forward dragged his shot beyond the far post.

Another chance for Uruguay went begging in the 19th minute when Mauricio Victorino headed Diego Forlan's corner over the bar from an unmarked position on the edge of the six-yard box.

The Uruguayans were bossing the game but Mexico came agonisingly close to opening the scoring when Guardado, in for the suspended Erwain Juarez, struck the under-side of the bar with a swerving left foot drive.

Giovani Dos Santos then wriggled clear but Porto defender Jorge Fucile recovered with a superb last-ditch tackle to snuff out the danger.

Uruguay took the lead two minutes before the interval when Edinson Cavani got free on the right. His delivery to the back post was impeccable and Suarez peeled away from his marker to nod the ball past Perez.

Uruguay's tempo eased off after the interval but it required a superb stop from Perez to prevent them doubling their lead as the hour mark approached.

Uruguayan skipper Diego Lugano rose above the Mexican defence to power Forlan's free-kick goalwards and the goalkeeper had to throw himself full length to save.

Mexico's clearest chance of the afternoon followed ten minutes later. Substitute Pablo Barrera's cross found Francisco Rodriguez unmarked but the defender failed to connect cleanly and his header slipped wide of the target in what was to prove Mexico's last chance of an equaliser.

Comments

Mexico defender Rafael Marquez said his side needs to improve for the second round.

"We will have to improve. As for our next match, we will have to work to reproduce the kind of form we showed in the match against France," said the Barcelona star.

"The important thing was to win and finish top of the group," said Uruguay striker Diego Forlan.

Mexico: Perez, Osorio, Rodriguez, Moreno (Castro 57), Salcido, Torrado, Marquez, Guardado (Barrera 46), Dos Santos, Blanco (Hernandez 63), Franco.

Uruguay: Muslera, Pereira, Lugano, Victorino, Fucile, Rios, Perez, Pereira (Scotti 77), Forlan, Suarez (Fernandez 85), Cavani.

Referee: Kassai (Hungary).

Yellow cards: Fucile; Hernandez, Castro.

Attendance: 33,425.