The thunderstorm that delayed kick-off by an hour was not the only storm that hit Mexico’s round-of-32 World Cup clash with Ecuador. When the lightning bolts finally cleared, the co-hosts exploded out of the blocks, scoring twice in the first half through Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez to secure a 2-0 victory. But the match ended in controversy as Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie, 24, was shown a straight red card for covering his mouth during a heated altercation with Santiago Gimenez.
The incident, which occurred in stoppage time, saw Mexico striker Gimenez rush to alert referee Slavko Vincic. A VAR review confirmed that Hincapie had broken a new FIFA rule that bans players from covering their mouths during confrontations – a measure designed to prevent hidden comments from being read. Hincapie became the second player at the tournament to be sent off for the offence, after Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron was dismissed for the same act during Paraguay’s group stage win over Turkey. Almiron received a one-match ban, but Hincapie’s suspension will not take effect during the remainder of the World Cup because Ecuador have been eliminated.
“Arsenal's Hincapie sent off for covering mouth as Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 to set up potential England clash.”
The victory sends Mexico into the last 16, where they will face either England or DR Congo. England manager Thomas Tuchel had earlier confirmed that Jarrell Quansah and Reece James will both miss Wednesday’s clash in Atlanta, but Bukayo Saka is fit to start. Tuchel will be looking for a performance reminiscent of France’s emphatic 3-0 win over Sweden, in which Kylian Mbappe scored twice to move level with Lionel Messi in World Cup goalscoring charts, while Bradley Barcola also found the net. French players celebrated with manager Didier Deschamps, who had briefly returned to France to mourn his mother’s death before rejoining the squad.
Meanwhile, England fans are already booking flights to Mexico despite the fact that the Three Lions must first beat DR Congo to reach the last 16. The Evening Standard reported that supporters are confident of progressing, but Tuchel has warned against underestimating the West Africans. On the other side of the draw, Norway advanced with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ivory Coast in Dallas, courtesy of a late winner from Erling Haaland.