After an anti-climactic end to the Czechia vs South Africa fixture, it was down to Mexico and South Korea to provide the entertainment for Group A. Both sides were hoping to qualify for the knockout stages tonight, and the mounting pressure led to a competitive affair.

The gap in quality between the other fixture and this one was apparent. Mexico has a decent pedigree in this competition and has shared the limelight in its continent with the USA in continental tournaments. At their home tournament, they sought to match what was expected of them from early on.

A win against South Africa set them up nicely for this game, but the hard work needed to be put in for this game, against an opposition that consistently performs to a high standard.

South Korea continued their relentless pressing and high-tempo this match, operating as a unified, tight unit in order to put pressure on the Mexican build-up play and recover possession high up the pitch.

Mexico's high line led them to be susceptible at the back, which provided space both between the defenders and behind them. Taegeuk captain Heung-Min Son utilised this in the first half, and found chances for himself early on, and nearly opened the scoring within the first 15 minutes.

Mexico found its feet soon after, piling the pressure on the South Korean defence, which stood strong for the most part. Goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim's mistake gifted an opportunity to Luis Romo, who fired home to draw first blood.

That concluded all the goals in this match, despite several chances for both teams. Mexico's win sends them to the top of the group and into the knockout stages, while South Korea has to perform on the final day.

Myung-Bo Hong was hoping for a more convincing performance by his side after narrowly beating Czechia last Friday, and for the most part, his side rose to the occasion.

Matching Mexico on their home soil was never going to be an easy task, and many would be forgiven for thinking that the North Americans would steamroll a South Korean side that contains mixed ability players.

South Korea almost took the lead early in the half, when an ambitious through-ball met Son at the edge of the Mexican box, but his lofted attempt was cleared off the line by El Trí captain Edson Álvarez, despite beating Raúl Rangel in net.

Chances then became more sparse, despite exceptional pressing ability, the Taegeuk Warriors are consistently wasteful in possession, and lack the composure and technical ability to break down a solid Mexican defensive block.

The tie was ultimately decided by a costly mistake by Kim, who spilled a caught ball, which was volleyed home with finesse to open the scoring in the game. Kim's error, though it cost his team three points, was his only error of the game; without him, South Korea could've been out of the game early on.

With time running out late in the tie, Hong used every attacker disposable in his arsenal, which included Hyun-Gyu Oh, who scored the winner last week, and Wolves' Hwang-Hee Chan.

Target man Gue-Sung Cho was sent on last as a last-ditch attempt to recover a crucial point in this game, but his best effort was matched by the Mexican number one, with another imperative close-range block on the line.

Ultimately, it wasn't to be for South Korea. Though it's not much consolation, their performance tonight was admirable. They now rely on a routine win against South Africa, who are expected to finish bottom of the group, to keep their round of 32 dreams alive.

Mexican manager Javier Aguirre revamped his team selection for today's fixture, despite a convincing win over South Africa in the last game. 

The 67-year-old must have felt his side did not perform to the maximum of their potential, dropping attacking midfielder Álvaro Fidalgo in favour of midfielder Romo, in a change which did pay off in the end.

Álvarez replaced the suspended César Montes and took the armband as well. His inclusion was also vastly important; his defensive competence stopped a chipped shot from Son from crossing the line early in the first half.

Both wingbacks, Jesús Gallardo and Jorge Sánchez, had their work cut out for them tonight. The pair must have covered most of the pitch today, as they were tasked with tracking back to recover a loss of possession and supporting the wingers with overlapping runs.

Chances for Mexico to extend their lead were numerous, but El Trí failed to do so, which seems to be a problem for Aguirre's side, as their performances could have been a lot more convincing in both games.

That said, their relentless attacking threats paid dividends early in the second half, when Romo volleyed a spilled catch by Kim to slot a tidy volley home and open the scoring in the game.

A defensive block then ensued. Aguirre's team was compact at the back and held off South Korean warnings convincingly. Mexico secured a guaranteed place in the knockout stages tonight and will hope to build on two impressive performances.