Mexico (9) v (3) Belgium

By Tim Beissmann

IN A game that produced many highlights, Mexico started with a flurry and never really looked being stopped, taking the match 9-3 over the Belgians.

Mexico produced possibly the quickest goal of the Homeless World Cup so far, scoring after only six seconds of play.

Brilliant vision from the midfield set up Mexico's second goal and it looked like running away with the game in the early stages.

Needing a leader to step up, the Belgian keeper Marc Gammarus Van Humbeeck made the save of the day, diving to his right and punching the ball clear.

The class of the Mexicans was impressive in the first half, and used patient build ups successfully to take a 5-0 lead into the half time break.

The first half highlight was reserved for the Belgians, however, with livewire Nourdine Benaissa throwing his body in the air and narrowly missing a bicycle shot which had the crowd on their feet.

Nourdine carried that enthusiasm through the break to the second half and celebrated hard as he slotted his team's first two goals. The second was a crafty back-heel between the Mexican keeper's legs which made the opposition stop and applaud.

The Belgian crowd tried to carry their team along as they saw a glimmer of hope in the physical encounter, with singing, chanting and flag-waving in the stands.

But three consecutive goals to the Mexicans put the match beyond the Belgians.

Keeper Marc was desperate to keep his team alive and his reflex saves were hard to believe as he halted the Mexican attack.

Crowd favourite Nourdine, the 200cm striker who plays all his games in the Homeless World Cup spirit, slammed home his hatrick and celebrated hard, but it was not enough to stop the rampant Mexicans, who pushed into third position on the Group E table.

Photos: Photoworx