Mexico still Brazil's bogey team

Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa dives for the ball during a Group A football match between Brazil and Mexico in the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

The score should have read: Brazil 3- Mexico 0. Instead, it read Brazil 0- Mexico 0.

It was because of the outstanding goalkeeping exploit of Guillermo Ochoa the match between the two South American countries ended in a goalless draw. Ochoa could get himself in the right time and at the right position on the goal line to deny Brazil poster-boy Neymar twice and skipper Thiago Silva once. 

It was a draw but an exciting one. Unlike the opening match against Croatia, Brazil played more like Brazil against Mexico. Though the team has not yet got fully tuned to the famous Samba rhythm, the 22-year-old talisman Neymar could show his worth.  But it was Ochoa, with not even a club to play for, who seized the spotlight by producing some top class saves. The 28-year-old, whose French team Ajaccio released him upon relegation from the first division, almost alone forced Brazil to share points at the first round of World Cup for the first time since 1978.

"I did not like their keeper," quipped Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scholari in his trademark style. "He was really spectacular, his blocks were great and he was very calm."

Mexico continue to be the bogey team for Brazil since 2000. No team has been able to get under the skin of Brazilians as regularly as Mexico, with Brazil suffering six defeats and winning just four of their 12 meetings during this period. And with this newest draw, they got Brazil back to 1978 World Cup in Argentina where they finished third.  

An army captain, Coutinho was the coach of the Brazil team that included Zico and Rivelino.  He had hardly any experience as coach of football teams yet got the job for being a friend of president of Brazil football confederation.  He vindicated the criticism against him when he left Falcao, the best player in Brazil then, out of the team.

Brazil started the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Sweden before stumbling to a goalless draw against Spain.

Yet, Brazil could have gone into the final and won the Cup as well had not Argentina managed a very suspicious win in the history of the game against Peru.

Group B in the second round of the tournament was made up of Argentina, Brazil, Poland and Peru. Group B champion would move to the final against Group A winners the Holland.

After Brazil beat Peru 3-0, then saw off Poland 3-1, Argentina had to win the game against Peru by at least four goals.

Argentina caused controversy by delaying their games until the outcome of the other matches, so they knew exactly what they needed to do before every match.

Argentina went on to score six goals, three in each half, with Peru appearing very helpful.

The Sunday Times broke this story on the eve of England's clash with Argentina in 1986, claiming that Argentina had shipped 35,000 tons of free grain to Peru, along with free arms and unfroze $50m in credits that the Argentine national bank was holding. With Peruvian generals short of money and happy to help a fellow junta, they were happy to assist.