Brazil held by feisty Mexico

The hosts are denied a second win by the brilliant Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa who earns Mexico a point.

It was the seventh draw between the two sides in their 39 matches. Brazil have won 22 and Mexico 10 [GALLO/GETTY]

World Cup favourites Brazil were held to a 0-0 draw by Mexico as goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced an inspired performance to deny the Brazilians their 11th victory in a row.

Ochoa made a series of reflex saves to deny Paulinho, Neymar (twice) and Thiago Silva when they seemed certain to score.

At the other end, the Mexicans had a few decent chances in another entertaining game and could have snatched a victory had their long-range efforts been more accurate.

It wasn't a good result, a victory would have qualified us. We need to respect other teams.

by Luiz Felipe Scolari, Brazil coach

The draw ended Brazil’s 10-match winning streak, dating back to August when they lost to Switzerland in a friendly.

It also meant that to make the second round of the tournament both teams need points from their final group games on June 23 when Brazil face Cameroon in Brasilia and Mexico meet Croatia in Recife.

“There was a chance here, a chance there, it was very tight,” Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said.

“It wasn’t a good result, a victory would have qualified us. We need to respect other teams.”

Brazil bossed the match from the outset with Marcelo and Oscar causing mischief down the left and Neymar showing the occasional burst of brilliance in the middle.

undefined
Brazil [Al Jazeera]

Neymar’s header from a Dani Alves free kick on 26 minutes sorced Ochoa’s first fine save. As the ball headed goalwards he scrambled across his line and beat it away at his right hand post.

In the dying minutes Brazilian captain Thiago Silva looked certain to score with a point-blank header from a free kick but again Ochoa was in the right place to beat the ball away.

This was the first time that Mexico had held Brazil to a draw at a World Cup. Their previous three clashes ended in comprehensive victories for the Brazilians, 5-0, 4-0 and 2-0.

It was the seventh draw between the two sides in their 39 encounters. Brazil have won 22 and Mexico 10.

Source: Reuters