GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Head coach Javier Aguirre declared Mexico capable of breaking into the world's top 10 teams after securing a place in the World Cup knockout stage on Thursday.
A second-half goal from Luis Romo gave Mexico a 1-0 win over South Korea as the co-host extended its lead at the top of Group A with six points from two games.
"Reaching the next round wasn't a walk in the park," Aguirre told a post match news conference. "And now we have to turn the page because every game is complicated. I want my players to believe we can be among the world's top 10 teams."
Mexico, currently 11th in the FIFA rankings, needs only a draw in its last group match against Czechia on Wednesday to be guaranteed a home round-of-32 match.
Aguirre, who was part of the Mexico team that reached the quarterfinals of the last World Cup in the country 40 years ago, emphasized the importance of playing at home.
"The Mexico factor is hugely important," he said. "In 1986, playing at home was priceless. The people will come because of the excitement. Hopefully we can keep winning and see how far we go."
Despite Mexico's perfect record so far this tournament, Aguirre said the team still had scope for improvement.
"It's always difficult to come away completely satisfied," said the 67-year-old, who was appointed El Tri manager for a third time in July 2024.
"We showed maturity, but anxiety got the better of us at times. We were much more patient, not passive. They're a very tough team. They were waiting for a mistake. Their goalkeeper made an error and then produced a save."
He added that local fans had played a crucial role in the victory.
"The fans were immeasurable," he said. "The people of Jalisco [state] treated us fantastically. The support, the flags, the shirts, for everyone involved, it helps enormously." ■
