New Zealand 2, Mexico 4 | World Cup Qualifying Match

After a year of hand-wringing and contemplation of national calamity, Mexico made it look

awfully easy in the endEl Tri officially booked the 31st out of 32 available spots in the

2014 World Cup with a dominant 4-2 win over New Zealand in the countries' World Cup

qualifying playoff in Wellington, powered by Oribe Peralta's first-half hat trick. New

Zealand made it a game late on with goals from Chris James and Rory Fallon, but Mexico's

5-1 win in the first leg of the series – which finished 9-3 on aggregate – made the goals

all but academic.

Mexico head coach Miguel Herrera stuck with the same personnel and 5-3-2 formation from

that big win at Estadio Azteca, which left the Kiwis needing a miracle in the home leg to

reach their second straight World Cup and third overall.
Peralta made sure there would be no such comeback, putting a New Zealand defense

decimated by injury and suspension – including all-time caps leader Ivan Vicelich through

yellow-card accumulation – to the sword by scoring three goals in the first 33 minutes of

action.