Key events
90+3 mins: Pineda almost seals it from just inside the box but his sidefoot finish is a fraction high.
90+2 mins: Mexico are going to end the curse of the fifth game. And they are going to do so with a fourth win and a fourth clean sheet of this World Cup.
90+1 mins: Seven minutes of time added on.
90 mins: Gimenez can break! He wins the ball in dispute on halfway, drives towards goal – and tries to offload to Pineda on his left but mistimes the pass. He may have been better off shooting himself, or looking for Guttierez on his right.
89 mins: Ecuador are not giving up, Hincapie especially has been tireless, but Mexico just have numbers around the ball wherever it bounces in defence.
88 mins: Mexico are dropping deeper and deeper but Ecuador are running out of ideas.
87 mins: Instead of playing the ball around Ecuador are now trying to get the ball forward early, with a similar level of success.
86 mins: Caicedo tries to take the game by the scruff of the neck but his ball forward is little more than hopeful and his shot from long range is never troubling the target.
85 mins: Hincapie raids again down the left and swings over a decent cross but Mexico are set well and head clear. Gimenez then does his job, wins the second ball and buys a free-kick on halfway.
83 mins: Mexico are absorbing everything Ecuador can throw at them without much discomfort. They were born to defend a lead like this in the Azteca.
81 mins: Ecuador are unable to move the Mexican defence around despite dominating the ball in the middle third. Hincapie's cross is deflected behind for a corner, but La Tri's eighth of the night is as dangerous as the previous seven and Mexico clear.
80 mins: Couple of changes for Mexico as well with Quinones and Alvarado rewarded for their strong performances with a late rest. Pineda and Reyes provide the fresh legs.
79 mins: Gimenez buys a very soft free-kick on halfway to allow his side to milk the clock and ease downfield.
Ecuador take the opportunity to bring on Paez and Jordy Caicedo for Yeboah and Angulo.
78 mins: It's all getting a bit scrappy, but still with plenty of intensity.
77 mins: Superb defending from Hincapie to deny Gimenez who was hurtling into the box after Ecuador failed to deal with a bouncing long ball.
75 mins: Close! Rodriguez gets between Montes and Sanchez to chest down a routine long ball on the run. He enters the box and wins a 60:40 with Rangel but his toe poke dribbles wide. Let off for Mexico.
74 mins: Jimenez and Romo, two men who have excelled tonight, are replaced by the fresh legs of Gimenez and Vargas.
73 mins: Hincapie drills a dangerous low cross that results in a corner. Ecuador look a bit out of imagination from dead balls now.
71 mins: Ecuador execute a funky goal-kick restart with the ball played to Caicedo in his defensive right corner under pressure, then humped long diagonal for Angulo to chase. Yellow shirts collect the second ball but then it's all too passive again and Mexico get bodies into position.
69 mins: One final hydration break for Beccacece to shake things up. Mexico have conceded just one goal in their past five matches before this. Ecuador need two to force extra-time.
68 mins: Montes again! It's an identical routine: superb outswinger from Alvarado, firm header by the leaping Montes, but this time his effort skews wide of the far post.
67 mins: SAVE! Galindez does brilliantly point blank on his line to extend a paw and repel a goalbound Montes header. That was a textbook corner.
66 mins: Mexico enjoy a couple of breaks to release the pressure and Quinones uses the second to buy a corner on the left.
64 mins: Corner on the right to La Tri, but the delivery isn't great again and Mexico head clear.
On the topic of dead ball delivery a couple of you have rightly pointed out that any excuses of altitude (see 56 mins) are undone by Ecuador also being a long way above sea level. As Oliver Robinson points out: “most of the squad came through Independiente del Valle in Sangolqui, with an altitude of 2500m, and Quito at 2850m is even higher – they've got no excuse!â€.
63 mins: Ecuador are now monopolising possession. It still lacks penetration but Mexico need to be careful they don't sit back too far.
61 mins: Mexico's midfield pivot are taking less chances going forward and the fullbacks are now occupying orthodox positions leaving the front three a little isolated. This half has played out scrappier and slower, much more like I would have expected the match in general, which suits clean sheet specialists Mexico with a two goal lead.
60 mins: And another change for Ecuador with Rodriguez replacing Valencia.
59 mins: Mexico absorb a few minutes of Ecuadorian possession then take their opportunity to intercept, head the other way and buy a free-kick. The man responsible for that moment, teenager Gilberto Mora, is then substituted. The youngster has been excellent tonight, he will become some player. Brian Guttierez comes on.
58 mins: “Sayonara Groups E & F, emails Zafar Sobhan, “Interestingly, all 3 qualifiers from Group F are on their way home, and if this result holds, as seems likely, all 3 qualifiers from Group E will join them. Those were two of the strongest groups on paper. Just goes to show, you never can tell (as Chuck Berry would have said).â€
57 mins: Ecuador return to their task of recycling the ball from one side to the other in front of the Mexican defence while the crowd heckles at an increasingly rabid pitch.
56 mins: “It's common knowledge for people living in Mexico City that the ball flies longer in long crosses compared with towns at sea level,†emails Pablo Silva Ibarra. “I've never known if it's true (I grew up in a Mexican city with an altitude of 2700m, everything's relative), but that'd explain the inaccuracy Ecuadorians have shown all game long in long balls.â€
54 mins: Ecuador are seeing longer spells of possession this half, but it is passive and in front of the well set Mexican defence. Romo does well to rob Yeboah just as he pulls the trigger, earning a kick to his foot for his troubles.
52 mins: Mexico maintain territorial dominance and Mora almost wriggles free in the box. Ecuador look nervy, but profit from their initial inability to clear their lines as Mexico jump and La Tri can find space in transition. Valencia gets in behind on the right and shoots on an angle, but he is pinged for offside.
50 mins: Mexico are still keen to play to a high tempo, pressing in a mid-block, denying Ecuador passage through the lines once they reach halfway. Yeboah pushes the block deeper with a nice drive infield but Ecuador are only able to play in front of the green wall, not behind it, and it's no surprise when Vite runs out of patience and slaps a dreadful effort high and wide. On the excellent Football Cliches podcast I heard that such an effort is called a Backpack Shot in Norway because it's taken with the technique of a man falling backwards with a loaded weight on his shoulders.
48 mins: The Mexican dual pivot of Lira and Romo have been exceptional, dictating the tempo and scrapping for everything in dispute. They have been ably supported by the movement and bravery in possession of Quinones, Mora, and Alvarado.
47 mins: Alvarado should do better! Mexico break quickly and Quinones sprays a lovely crossfield pass to his opposite winger in space on the edge of the box on the right. He cuts inside and seems caught between crossing to the far post and curling a shot inside it, ending up somewhere in between.
46 mins: Ordonez is hooked after he was responsible for Mexico's second. Franco was on a yellow card.
Changes at the break for Ecuador: Ordonez and Franco make way for Preciado and Medina.
I notice a few England fans in the mailbox watching this match behind their sofas. Mexico are on course to return to the Azteca in a few days to take on the winner of England v DR Congo. El Tri will surely start as favourites against whoever they face.
Mailbag 1:
“Wondering if it might be time for Ecuador to unleash Kendry Paez,†ponders Russell Yong. “I'd actually been looking forward to seeing him feature in some capacity in this tournament, but I guess the way their games were panning out meant there didn't feel like any appropriate time to put him on. With little left to lose, though, they could do worse.†Agree totally. Ecuador need to work the unexpected transitional nature of this game to their advantage.
“If you had told me on a certain day in November of 2020 that in 6 years Raul Jimenez would not only still be alive, but also playing football and be in sole possession of the second most goals scored for Mexico, I'd have thought you were crazy,†marvels Trey Brock. If you're unsure what Trey's referring to, there's more on the Mexican striker's career here:
While I recaffeinate, I'll leave you with this jolly piece of nostalgic World Cup interactivity.
Half-time: Mexico 2-0 Ecuador
El Tri lead at the end of a tremendously high tempo and exciting half of football.
45+5 mins: Angulo has had some joy on the left and skips around the outside again, but Mexico have been quick to get bodies around the ball and deny crossing and shooting opportunities. They have been happy to concede corners, and the fifth of the half shows why as La Tri go short then end up playing the ball back to halfway.
45+3 mins: Free-kick to Ecuador in a decent crossing opportunity on the right touchline after neat footwork from Yeboah. Can Caicedo deliver? No. Overhit again.
45+2 mins: Yellow card to Franco after coming through the back of Quinones late.
45 mins: Chance! Sanchez overlaps on the right and picks out Jimenez in the D with his intelligent cutback but the volleyed effort is scuffed and no danger to the Ecuador net. The buildup was another excellent demonstration of Alvarado's tireless work this half.
44 mins: Mora has respawned on the right and links up well with the industrious Alvarado. A cross is dug out for Jimenez at the far post but his header is off target.
43 mins: This one is to the near post but Hincapie gets too much on his attempted glance and Mexico get some respite.
42 mins: For the second time tonight Rangel is strong in his six-yard box to claw away a corner aimed at a mass of bodies. Ecuador come again and though and force a fourth corner of the half.
41 mins: Another corner, this time after Angulo tried to get around the outside on the left. Mexico had numbers back.
40 mins: Mexico are playing with freedom, looking to play through the lines directly. They might not be doing that for long though because Ecuador turn them around in transition and Yeboah gets off a decent effort from the edge of the box that Rangel has to dive to save. It was a bit of a Hollywood parry but it couldn't be taken for granted. The resulting corner is headed clear.
39 mins: Captain Caicedo overhits the resulting free-kick woefully.
38 mins: Finally the tempo slows briefly and Ecuador get some time on the ball. Angulo tries to take the game on, then Caicedo is caught from behind by Quinones.
36 mins: Ecuador look rattled in defence, not sure whether to push or drop as Mexico vary their approach with Quinones, Mora, and Alvarado switching positions.
34 mins: Ecuador earn a corner with a cross blocked off the boot behind. It looks like UFC in the penalty area before the ball is sent over. Rangel does well to claw the delivery away from his packed six yard box.
33 mins: Jimenez could have let that early miss bother him, but he hit that shot like a man at ease with the world. Mexico have really turned it on. Mora is superb, Quinones is silky, Lira and Romo are everywhere.
That is a shocker from Ordonez. He scuffs his clearance straight to Jimenez who exchanges passes with Quinones outside the box then hammers home gleefully with his right boot into the top corner. The Azteca erupts.
