After a fast and furious start, Mexico took the lead with just five minutes on the clock. Pavel Pardo’s free-kick from the right was flicked on by Mario Mendez and Rafael Marquez slid the ball home at the far post.
It took just five minutes for the Albiceleste to draw level. Juan Riquelme’s corner from the right was touched in by Hernan Crespo and despite a series of chances for both sides, 1-1 was how it stayed for the remaining 80 minutes of normal time.
In the 98th minute, Juan Sorin’s cross-field pass was chested down by Rodriguez and the Atletico Madrid man fired home a left-footed volley to book his side a date with Germany in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 30 June.
The stalemate between two sides already assured of qualification left them tied on seven points at the top of the group, with Argentina finishing first virtue of their better goal difference. While Jose Pekerman’s team move on to face Mexico in Leipzig on Saturday, the Dutch will play Portugal in Nuremberg 24 hours later.
