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Mexico showed the rest of the World Cup competitors the blueprint to beat defending champions Germany after a thrilling win at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The first half in the inaugural game of Group F ended with the upstart Mexicans leading 1-0 after absolutely terrifying Die Mannschaft.
The Germans had their own share of chances but Mexico started the game on the front foot looking to give them a bloody nose and succeeded. Hirving Lozano, playing on the left wing, gave Joshua Kimmich and the rest of the defence fits with his direct running and blazing pace, and scored the solitary goal as well.
El Tri, when not attacking, were relying on quick counterattacks to test the surprisingly slow German defence and took the lead when yet another quick break from Javier Hernandez found Lozano, and Chucky (as he is known) cut back and fired off a shot at the near post that Manuel Neuer had no chance of stopping.
The youngster puts it away!
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 17, 2018
Chicharito starts the counterattack and Chucky Lozano finishes it to give Mexico the 1-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/Ze5IUJuE3d
You have not lived if you haven’t heard the epic commentary of Argentinian commentator Andres Cantor, so we oblige you right here.
#MundialTelemundo En voz de @AndresCantorGOL así vivimos el gol de @HirvingLozano70 para el 1-0 de #MEX sobre #GER pic.twitter.com/lEFVHW9SEu
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) June 17, 2018
Everton have been linked a number of times with Lozano in the past few months, with talk picking up in the last few weeks after Marcel Brands came over from PSV Eindhoven to become the Toffees new Director of Football.
Lozano’s performance today will certainly have added a few more millions to the player’s value and Everton will likely have some more competition now as they dream of adding Chucky to a forward line led by Cenk Tosun with Gylfi Sigurdsson, Ademola Lookman and Theo Walcott.
Here’s his stats visually after the first half.
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(Graphics courtesy of Stats Zone)
Lozano came off in the 66th minute having given it his all and visibly exhausted.
Your move now, Marcel Brands.