If Mexico had taken care of business in its final group-stage game with Sweden, it would be facing Switzerland in the round of 16 this week, safely tucked in the softer side of the World Cup bracket alongside Russia, Denmark and Colombia. Instead, it will play in the elimination round Monday against Brazil, a team it hasn’t beaten in more than six years — and one it has never bettered in a World Cup. Yet for captain Andres Guardado, it’s the ideal matchup. “What better motivation can there be other than the fact that we’re facing the game of our lives against a five-time champion?” Guardado said Friday, in Mexico’s final news conference before leaving Moscow for the 90-minute flight to Samara. Advertisement “Internally we’ve said amongst ourselves that this is the perfect scenario.” It’s also a chance to make history. Mexico is playing in the knockout round for a seventh consecutive World Cup; only Brazil has a longer active streak. But while Brazil has won two titles during that time, Mexico hasn’t won a game in the second round since 1986. And it has never won a World Cup elimination game outside Mexico. Still, coach Juan Carlos Osorio agrees with Guardado that Brazil may actually be the perfect opponent for his team. “Going against Brazil, that will be a difficult thing,” he said. “[But] I have come to the conclusion that the Mexican players compete better against teams that historically are better, or have achieved more, rather than competing against teams or nations that have not won anything.” Mexico already proved that here, beating defending champion Germany in its opener. That followed with a win over South Korea before running around against Sweden, which frustrated Mexico by conceding possession and playing defensively with as many as nine men behind the ball. That won’t be a problem against Brazil. The South Americans, led by Neymar (one goal, one assist) and Philippe Coutinho (two goals, one assist) are one of the few teams in Russia that can run with the fast-breaking Mexicans. Injuries have plagued Brazil, however, and the team may be without left back Marcelo, who was forced out of the group-stage finale with Serbia after 10 minutes because of back spasms. Guardado said he will ask officials to keep an eye on Neymar, who drew a tournament-leading 17 fouls in the group stage and has a reputation for embellishing fouls. Brazil’s Neymar, left, attempts to shoot past Serbia goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic during a Group E match against Serbia in Spartak Stadium in Moscow on June 27. (Andre Penner / Associated Press ) Advertisement “We all know Neymar,” he said. “It’s not up to me or us to judge, but the referees and FIFA. Now they have VAR [video assistant referees], they have to watch his style of play and the referee needs to be on top of it because we know he likes to exaggerate fouls. He likes to drop to the floor a lot.” Mexico was led in the first round by Hirving Lozano and Carlos Vela on offense, while keeper Guillermo Ochoa was outstanding in goal, leading the tournament with 17 saves. But El Tri will be without center back Hector Moreno, who must sit out the game with a yellow-card suspension. And after the 3-0 loss to Sweden, the team’s most-lopsided defeat in a year, Mexico is one of two teams that advanced to the knockout round with a negative goal differential. Guardado doesn’t see any of that as a problem either. “What makes me calm is that I think we’re all ready to play,” he said. Advertisement “You learn more from the defeats than the victories because you want to reduce all the bad things from that game. The game against Sweden taught us a lot of lessons.” One lesson no player has to be taught, however, is the importance of winning the fourth game in a World Cup. Only five players on this year’s team were even alive the last time Mexico did that. “We’d never beaten Germany in a World Cup either, and we did it in this one,” Guardado said. “We’re here to make history, and it is in our hands. “We all know that statistics don’t play when the game starts.” Advertisement kevin.baxter@latimes.com | Twitter: @kbaxter11<doc-sep>Mexico vs Brazil will be no doubt an attractive match come the Round of 16. El Tri and the Verde amarelha have met several times in diverse tournaments. The Mexico vs Brazil record is currently 22 victories for La Canarinha, seven draws and 10 victories for El Tri. Brazil is a football powerhouse and is also the only national team to have won five world cup trophies. Embed from Getty Images On the other hand, Mexico has been far less successful when it comes to winning tournaments, with the London Olympics gold medal and the 1999 Confederations Cup featuring as Mexico's most important victories. Interestingly, Mexico won both tournaments beating Brazil. Here is a recap of El Tri's brightest moments against the Scratch do Ouro. 1999 Confederations Cup The year was 1999. Mexico was hosting the Conderations Cup. The final was Mexico vs Brazil and was played at Estadio Azteca. A young Ronaldinho, Ze Roberto and Dida led Brazil. The local lineup featured the likes of Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Rafael Márquez and Francisco Palencia. The first half finished with Mexico leading 2-0, however Brazil bounced back and equalized early on in the second half. Shortly after, El Tri regained the lead and later on Blanco increased the lead even further after a brilliant counterattack, setting the score at 4-2. A Ze Roberto goal was insufficient and the final score was 4-3. Mexico thus became Confederations Cup champions. 2012 London Olympics Mexico faced Brazil in yet another final in 2012 during the Summer Olympics in London. El Tri were the underdogs as Neymar's Brazil was widely considered the favorite. However, Oribe Peralta scored within the first minute and set the tone for what would be a nerve-wrecking match. Brazil pushed back but was unable to score the equalizer. In the 74th minute, Oribe Peralta scored again with a solid header and doubled Mexico's advantage. In the 90th minute, Hulk scored for Brazil but the goal was insufficient and Mexico came home with the gold medal. Other good Mexico performances against Brazil were a 2-0 victory during the Copa America in 2007 and the 0-0 draw in the 2014 World Cup. It seems like Mexico is an uncomfortable team to play against for Brazil. Can El Tri once again make history knocking Brazil out of a major international tournament? Our Mexico vs Brazil prediction: Yes. Embed from Getty Images<doc-sep>
Lee Jin-man/Associated Press Mexico showcased terrific form for the first two and a half matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage. They opened the tournament with a 1-0 victory over Germany and then scored a 2-1 win over South Korea. But El Tri closed pool play on a low note by allowing three second-half goals in a loss to Sweden. Now they must bounce back quickly for a round-of-16 clash with one of the tournament favorites in Brazil. The Selecao cruised through group play with victories over Costa Rica and Serbia after starting their bid to win a sixth World Cup with a draw against Switzerland. Let's check out all of the important details for the high-profile knockout-stage matchup. That's followed by a match preview and a prediction for which squad will advance to the quarterfinals. U.S. Viewing Information Video Play Button Videos you might like Where: Cosmos Arena in Samara, Russia When: Monday, July 2 at 10 a.m. ET Watch: Fox or Fox Sports 1 (TBA) Live Stream: Fox Sports Go Match Preview The biggest question Mexico must answer before facing the dynamic Brazil attack is what went wrong defensively against the Swedes. After allowing just one goal over the first 225 minutes of the event, the back line and midfield suddenly lost their structure late in the group finale. While giving up three goals in a half would be a concern regardless of the surrounding circumstances, it's an even more pressing issue while getting prepared to face Neymar, Philippe Coutinho and Co. Squawka Football spotlighted the success of the Paris Saint-Germain man in group play: Although Neymar has flashed his world-class talent, he's also been the focus of physical play from opponents likely trying to test him in his return from a fractured foot. In turn, more consistent play from those around him up front will likely be needed to make a deep run. One option is replacing Gabriel Jesus, who was largely ineffective in the three group matches, with Roberto Firmino, who's coming off a strong campaign with Liverpool. He netted 15 goals in 37 Premier League appearances and scored 10 more in 13 Champions League fixtures. Meanwhile, Mexico found success through a well-rounded attack and sound defense before the late breakdown against Sweden. Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez garners most of the headlines, but he's received plenty of support from the likes of veteran Carlos Vela and rising star Hirving Lozano. Keith Costigan of Fox Sports believes Mexico has the potential to cause matchup problems for Brazil: The first 15 minutes will be crucial. Brazil, after analyzing the Mexicans' issues late in their defeat to Sweden, is sure to come out with an aggressive mindset trying to take advantage of the Blagult's blueprint. If El Tri are able to weather the early storm, they do feature the talent and tactics to push Brazil to the brink. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the fixture eventually end up in extra time. That said, the Brazilians are deeper, possess more high-end talent and still hold the overall edge as they stand four wins from another World Cup trophy. Prediction: Brazil 2-1 Mexico