TOLUCA, Mexico (AP) — The Mexican national team rallied from an early deficit to beat Serbia 5-1 on Thursday, concluding preparations for its opening match of the World Cup.
Petar Stanic gave the Serbs the lead in the 19th minute, but Johan Vázquez equalized in the 34th. Stefan Bukinac leveled the score with an own goal in the 45th and Raúl Jiménez added a goal in the 57th.
Adem Advic scored another own goal in the 72nd and Luis Chavez sealed the victory in the 90th
“We’ve been preparing for 20 or 22 months. Choosing the final roster wasn’t easy, and we had setbacks along the way with 12 injuries,” said coach Javier Aguirre at a press conference.
Mexico opens the World Cup on June 11 against South Africa at Azteca Stadium. On the 18th, the Mexicans will face South Korea in Guadalajara and return to the nation’s capital on June 24 to play the Czech Republic.
Mexico is undefeated in its last eight games and hasn’t lost since November when it was defeated by Paraguay in a friendly.
“Beyond the result, we’re on the rise. We’re in good spirits, a positive attitude, and physically fit,” Aguirre added. “We’re in good shape.”
___ AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Carlos Rodríguez, The Associated Press
