WELLINGTON, New Zealand – Mexico qualified for the World Cup with a 4-2 victory over New Zealand in the second leg of an inter-continental playoff Wednesday, bringing an end to one of its most troubled and divisive qualifying campaigns.
Striker Oribe Peralta followed his double in the opening leg with a hat trick at Wellington to send his team to Brazil with an emphatic performance that left memories of recent difficulties at least partly erased. Mexico advanced with an aggregate score of 9-3 over the two legs.
Mexico shed three coaches during a 10-match campaign in the CONCACAF confederation, during which it won only two games and scored just seven goals to finish fourth and to face the trial of a playoff with Oceania champions New Zealand for a World Cup spot.
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