From Julian Quiñones’ brilliance to Cesar Montes’ clumsy red card - Winners and losers from Mexico’s 2-0 World Cup-opening win over South Africa

This one was easy to pick.

Many fans lined up outside Estadio Azteca from 6 a.m. Others walked miles just to reach their seats and take in a spectacle many will only experience once in their lifetime. The party started so early that, inside the stadium, it became easy to lose track of time.

Then came the anthem.

Mexico’s national anthem was sung with the kind of force that turns a stadium into something more than concrete and seats. Several of the younger players - Mateo Chavez, Armando La Hormiga Gonzalez, Obed Vargas, and Gilberto Mora - were visibly emotional as they sang at the top of their lungs. Even the South African anthem was received with respect, echoing beautifully through the stadium before the ball rolled.

Mexico have a 12th player, and it has the shape and color of green. It will not get tired after 90 minutes. It will not stop pressing from the stands. El Tri must take advantage of something that is difficult to describe but impossible to ignore.

South Africa felt it. South Korea and Czechia are expected to feel it, too. There is no easy remedy against a Mexican crowd that turns a World Cup match into a national event.

After Mexico scored in the ninth minute, they missed an opportunity to punish South Africa further.

Maybe it was the pressure of the moment. Maybe it was the weight of the opener. But instead of increasing the tempo and turning the match into a long, uncomfortable afternoon for Bafana Bafana, Mexico chose safety.

That is probably the pragmatic side of Aguirre’s teams. Keep the zero at the back. Protect the lead. Control the game before chasing the spectacle.

Still, the moment and the stadium were asking for more.

Brian Gutierrez and Quiñones both created dangerous moments in the first half that could have added to the scoreline before halftime, but Mexico went into the locker room only 1-0 up. Against stronger opponents, that type of missed opportunity can create unnecessary tension.

Mexico won, made history, and controlled long stretches of the match. But in a World Cup, especially at home, their on-pitch dominance has to translate into ruthlessness.

One of Aguirre’s most consistent picks in the starting XI has been Roberto El Piojo Alvarado.

On Thursday, South Africa could not stop him.

His assist for Raul Jimenez’s goal showed the precision in his left foot and the clarity he brings in the final third. Alvarado did not try to overcomplicate the match. He focused on making the right pass, connecting quickly with teammates, and giving Mexico rhythm on the right side.

His understanding with Gutierrez, his Chivas teammate, also gave El Tri one of their cleaner attacking routes. Whenever Mexico needed a simple touch to move forward or a smarter decision near the box, Alvarado seemed available.

He also showed defensive intelligence, dropping back multiple times to support right-back Israel Reyes and help Mexico control South Africa’s wide players.

As long as he stays healthy, Alvarado looks immovable in Aguirre’s starting lineup. In the opener, with his vision, timing, and work without the ball, he quieted much of the criticism that had followed him into the tournament.

Bafana Bafana shot themselves in the foot.

Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane left Hugo Broos’ side in a difficult position, not only against Mexico but also looking ahead to their next group-stage match against Czechia.

Before the tournament, Broos had spoken about the importance of winning at least one match and positioning South Africa for one of the best third-place tickets. That path is now more complicated. South Africa left Azteca with no points, no goals, and two suspended players.

It was not all bad. Chicago Fire FC defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi impressed with his composure, his left foot, and his willingness to guide South Africa from the back. He looked like one of the few Bafana Bafana players capable of slowing the match down and giving his team some structure.

But the red cards swallowed everything else.

Even with Mexico failing to fully punish them, Broos could leave Estadio Azteca feeling a little relieved that the scoreline only read 2-0. Had El Tri been sharper in attack, the afternoon could have turned horrific.

After the match, Quiñones looked like he could have played another 90 minutes.

That says a lot about what he gave Mexico. His goal will be the image that follows him from this opener, but his overall performance carried more meaning than one finish. He pressed, ran, attacked space, and gave El Tri the kind of direct spark it needed on a day filled with emotion.

He also came close to a second goal, rattling the post with a chance that would have pushed the match further away from South Africa.

What stood out most was his understanding of the physical and psychological advantages Mexico can create at home. Quiñones knows what altitude can do to opponents after spending years in Liga MX and winning championships with Atlas and Club America. He understands when to press, when to push defenders into rushed decisions, and when to turn a loose ball into danger.

Returning to Guadalajara next week will be special for him. He remains a hero for Atlas after leading the club to back-to-back Liga MX titles. Even if Mexico’s match against South Korea will be played at Chivas’ Estadio Akron, Quiñones will arrive in a city that knows exactly what he can do when the lights are brightest.

After scoring 33 goals in the Saudi Pro League, he now has his first World Cup goal. It may not be his last.

Cesar Montes has sometimes had a tendency to fall into the trap of committing clumsy fouls. This one, though, was especially costly.

Mexico was up 2-0. South Africa was down to nine men. The match was effectively over. There was no need for Montes to put himself or his team in that position.

Now Aguirre will be without one of his defensive leaders against South Korea, who, on paper, look like the most experienced and dangerous opponent in the group. 

Montes is not just another center back in Mexico’s rotation. He is one of the players trusted to organize the back line and handle the physical demands of World Cup matches.

His red card leaves El Tri with an avoidable problem after a game that should have ended without complications.

In a match set up perfectly for Mexico - at home, in front of a roaring crowd, against a South Africa side that finished with nine players - the ending introduced unnecessary questions. Aguirre will now have to reorganize his defense before the second group-stage match of the World Cup.

The crowd salvaged a good chunk of the performance, and the result gives Mexico the platform it wanted. But just as in 2018, El Tri’s second opponent at a World Cup will be Son Heung-min’s South Korea.

This time, Mexico will arrive with three points, momentum, and a suspended center back it did not need to lose.