Mexico, Brazil advance to knockout stage

One of the first things Miguel Herrera did when he became Mexico's fourth coach in a year was call Rafael Marquez and ask the 35-year-old defender known as "The Boss" to return to the national side as captain.

Yesterday, the world found out why the coach asked.

Marquez's pivotal goal from a header in the 72nd minute ignited a scoring burst, and Mexico surged into the World Cup's knockout stage for a sixth straight time with a 3-1 triumph over Croatia in Recife, Brazil.

"I did not hesitate one minute after my talk with him to appoint him captain," Herrera said of Marquez, now in his fourth World Cup. "He's had many achievements in his career, personally, but he's also provided leadership to the team, that soundness, and that is why they call him 'The Boss.' "

Marquez, Andres Guardado and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored in a 10-minute span in the second half, dooming a talented Croatia side to elimination from the group stage.

Mexico entered the game needing only a draw, but played aggressively and looked dangerous in attack even before breaking through. The result gave Mexico a second-place finish behind Brazil in Group A and set up a second-round meeting with Group B winner the Netherlands.

Marquez, who had scored in Germany in 2006 and South Africa four years ago, made it three straight World Cups with a goal. "They wanted him to retire, and look at him," Guardado said. "He plays like he's 23"

Neymar leads Brazil rout. Neymar knew the responsibility was his. An increasingly anxious host nation was relying on him to ensure Brazil avoided the almost inconceivable prospect of going out in the group stage of a World Cup on its own soil.

He delivered on the weighty expectations, leading Brazil to the knockout stage with two first-half goals in a 4-1 rout of Cameroon in Brasilia. "I have the responsibility to go out there and help my teammates," said Neymar, the World Cup's leading scorer with four goals. "We all did well today and got the result that we needed."

Brazil will face South American rival Chile in the knockout round. More important than the widely expected victory, though, was a performance that restored the confidence of fans after two disappointing matches. "It was our best match," Neymar said. "Not only because of the result but also because of how we played." -- AP