Mexico took a giant stride towards confirming their place at next year’s quadrennial celebration of world football in Brazil on November 13, trouncing New Zealand’s All Whites 5-1 in the first leg of their FIFA World Cup Intercontinental Play-off in front of 99,832 fans at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium. But for the heroics of All Whites goalkeeper Glen Moss, things could have been far worse for the visiting team, whose cautionary approach to the match frustrated their Mexican hosts throughout the opening half-hour of play. “Los Tri” dominated possession throughout proceedings, as their black-clad rivals set out their stall to defend first and foremost - an understandable approach given the selection of two players, in Jeremy Christie and Tony Lochhead, who currently find themselves gracing the ranks of football’s unemployed. Quite why, given this and their subsequent dearth of recent match-play, both were chosen by All Whites coach Ricki Herbert to start in the first leg of a contest with so much at stake, will make sense only to a select few. To the masses, however, the logic behind these selections remains elusive, long after the final whistle’s sounding. Mexico’s first threat on goal materialised in the seventh minute, Paul Aguilar darting across Lochhead and Tommy Smith to lash a shot across the face of the target, four minutes before the midfielder unleashed another effort which Moss could only parry into the stride of Raul Jimenez. His thunderous twenty-yarder slammed into Lochhead’s frame, with Ivan Vicelich, making his 88th “A” international appearance for his country, this time in the role of sweeper in the absence of the injured Winston Reid, stepping in to clear the danger. It was the turn of Andrew Durante to thwart Jimenez in the thirteenth minute, while a further four minutes elapsed before the dangerous Miguel Layun played a one-two with Carlos Pena before picking out Oribe Peralta with a cross. The unmarked striker’s header flashed across the face of goal and past the far post. It wasn’t long before Moss’ goal was again under threat, and again Layun was the source of the danger. His cross picked out Aguilar on the far post, and his header inside found the fast-arriving figure of Jimenez up in support. Moss materialised in even faster fashion to foil the front-runner at close quarters. As an attacking force, the All Whites were largely non-existent during the opening twenty minutes. What little threat they offered - a Lochhead free-kick which parted Smith’s hair, and Chris Wood’s ultimately fruitless pursuit of a Leo Bertos through ball - provided the briefest of respites from the norm, a rearguard action which, slowly but surely, was edging ever closer to the goal New Zealand were defending. There were times when Mexican ‘keeper Moises Munoz, who was largely a spectator throughout proceedings, was the lone occupant in his team’s half of the pitch, such was “Los Tri”’s dominance of both ball and territory. And it was his opposite number who was providing the majority of New Zealand’s resistance. Moss made a string of saves leading up to the half-hour mark, the first of which came in the 23rd minute as he spectacularly tipped Francisco Rodriguez’s dipping, swerving, scintillating thirty-five yarder onto the bar. Two minutes later, the All Whites’ custodian was at it again, this time denying Pena at close quarters, although the midfielder had strayed offside as he weaved his way through in an effort to receive the lay-off of Jimenez, who himself fired straight at Moss in the 27th minute. Such stubborn resistance couldn’t continue forever, however, and in the 32nd minute, the massed ranks of Mexican fans in this footballing cathedral roared as one with joy as their team took the lead. Pena’s shot required a last-ditch clearance by Lochhead to avert that threat. The clearance fell to Aguilar, who floated in a teasing cross towards Peralta, but both Durante and Moss rose with him. The ‘keeper punched the ball off Durante’s head, and it landed perfectly in the stride of the incoming figure of Aguilar, who gleefully tucked the sphere into the empty net to the undisguised delight of the natives, both team-mates and fans. Only the offside flag spared New Zealand’s blushes five minutes later as they were completely undone by some superb one-touch Mexican passing - Peralta was the player denied. Two minutes more elapsed before Moss produced a stunning double-save to keep his country in contention. Rodriguez’s ball forward found Luis Montes marauding through the inside left channel. Moss parried his drive, with the ball being cleared to Layun. The winger - a menace throughout proceedings - picked out Jimenez with his cross, but despite the fact he had his back to goal, the striker improvised superbly, executing a flying back-heeled volley which would have been a sensational goal had it not been thwarted by Moss’ breathtaking one-handed save to his left. Terrific skill from both players. Jimenez wasn’t to be denied, however, and with five minutes remaining before half-time, he stole in unmarked to head home from close range, after Layun’s corner had been headed on by Pena.

At 2-0, New Zealand had a mountain to climb - and that’s not even taking into account the altitude of this ground, some 2300 metres above sea level! Rodriguez was keen to twist the knife still further before the interval, but Moss beat away his thirty yard grasscutter. The All Whites emerged for the second half with attacking intent, as evidenced by the 47th minute thrust of Costa Barbarouses. He played the ball forward to Wood, who took on two defenders before unleashing a twenty-five yarder which flashed inches over the crossbar. Mexico’s response? Go straight back down the other end and increase their lead still further. Captain Rafael Marquez picked out Layun with a raking sixty yard pass which caught Bertos well out of position, leaving New Zealand’s right flank wide open as a result. The winger got to the byline before steering the sphere into the stride of Peralta, who stabbed home from close range to leave Mexico well and truly in charge of their own destiny. After Montes had gone close following a Layun corner, New Zealand introduced Chris James to the fray, and immediately they began to raise their game and foot it with their hosts. Suddenly there was some belief and attack-minded endeavour about their play - the “play to not lose” approach which is so much part and parcel of New Zealand men’s football was gradually superseded by an element of confidence in their football, to which the introduction of fellow substitutes Marco Rojas and Rory Fallon eagerly contributed. And it left one wondering why this approach hadn’t been employed from the outset. It was still the Mexicans who continued to produce the bulk of the goalscoring threats, however. Thwarting their progress in the second spell proved costly for both Bertos and Vicelich, both of whom, along with Wood, will miss the second leg of this tie through suspension. Smith and Vicelich combined to scramble the ball to safety just after the hour mark, as Layun and Pena threatened in and around the penalty area, while in the 69th minute Smith’s timely interception prevented Jimenez from benefiting following a sharp one-two on the left between substitutes Jesus Escoboza and Zinha Naelson. Moss kept out Marquez’s thirty-five yard free-kick in the 72nd minute, with Medina’s resulting corner being headed narrowly wide by the Mexican skipper - another unchallenged header which, given the aerial prowess of the All Whites’ defenders, was a genuine cause for concern. It’s an aspect of their play in which they usually excel. Not on this occasion, however. Lochhead earned himself a Lotto ticket in the 77th minute when Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai overlooked his handball offence in the penalty area, two minutes before Moss produced yet another stunning save, this time denying Medina’s twenty-five yard piledriver. Within five minutes, three more goals were scored, only the last of which delighted the watching All Whites fans back home. Ten minutes from time, on receipt of a Medina pass, Layun gave Bertos the runaround yet again before angling a cross in to the unmarked figure of Peralta, whose header soared over the diving figure of Moss and into the top right-hand corner of the net. Three minutes later, “Los Tri” made it 5-0. Medina and Escoboza worked a short corner, with the latter curling in a teasing cross to the near post. Marquez rose in between defenders to head home from six yards and all but book Mexico’s tickets for Brazil 2014. All but, because straight from the kick-off, the All Whites gave themselves the slightest glimmer of hope by netting an away goal. Smith’s ball forward was headed on by James to Bertos, whose cross to the far post picked out Fallon. The target man’s header across goal invited James to volley in off the post from ten yards, a task in which the substitute took great delight to earn himself a goal his positive contribution to New Zealand’s cause greatly merited. Sadly, even with the best will in the world, it’s unlikely to be enough to ensure the All Whites have a realistic chance of progressing to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals after the second leg at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium in a week’s time. In the dying minutes, Moss ensured things wouldn’t get any worse for his side by denying twenty-five yarders from both Escoboza and Jimenez - his enterprising run past three opponents deserved better fate. But Mexico were more than happy to savour this 5-1 triumph come the final whistle, a result which leaves them poised to grace world football’s biggest stage once more. Mexico: Munoz; Marquez, Valenzuela, Rodriguez; Montes (Naelson, 59), Aguilar, Medina, Pena (Escoboza, 63), Layun; Jimenez, Peralta (Molina, 81) All Whites: Moss; Durante (booked, 71), Vicelich (booked, 57), Smith; Bertos (booked, 75), McGlinchey, Christie (James, 54 (booked, 88)), Lochhead; Brockie (Rojas, 58), Wood (booked, 16) (Fallon, 66), Barbarouses Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)