Mexico and Angola meet in Group D
A loss tonight would spell the end of Angola's first ever World Cup campaign. Mexico, ahead of Portugal on goal difference, are looking to defend their spot at the top of the group against the World Cup debutant. The Mexicans will be looking to find the form they showed in last summer's Confederations Cup in this match after a nervous win against Iran last week.

The Mexican team can nearly taste the round of 16 -- and so can the 40,000 Mexican fans who are dancing to horns and whistles in Hanover's World Cup stadium.

Line-ups announced
Here's a look at how the teams will be taking the field:

Mexico: (5-3-2)

1- Oswaldo Sanchez; 16-Mario Mendez, 4- Rafael Marquez (capt.), 5- Ricardo Osorio, 3- Carlos Salcido, 14- Gonzalo Pineda; 6- Gerardo Torrado, 7- Antonio Naelson "Zinha", 8- Pavel Pardo; 10- Guillermo Franco, 19- Omar Bravo

Coach: Ricardo La Volpe

Angola: (4-5-1)

1- Joao Ricardo; 20- Loco, 3- Jamba, 5- Kali, 21- Delgado; 17- Ze Kalanga, 8- Andre Macanga, 7- Figueiredo, 11- Mateus, 14- Mendonca; 10- Akwa (capt.)

Coach: Luis Oliveira Goncalves

Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore)

Not much longer now
Team captains Rafael Marquez and Akwa meet to exchange pleasantries with the referee Shamsul Maidin and his three assistants.

1. min.
Mexico get the game started


1. min.
Omar Bravo follows the long kick-off into the Angola penalty area and tries to sneak in an early goal, but Ricardo isn't surprised.

2. min.
Salcido tries from farther away earning a gasp from the crowd by putting a shot on the top of the net.

3. min.
Jamba gets called for the first foul for pushing Guillermo Franco.

4. min.
Angolan player is down
Ze Kalanga gets an elbow just below the midsection and play is stopped to give him some time to recover.

5. min.
Pavel Pardo lines up free kick for Mexico


5. min.
His shot goes long and straight into Joao Ricardo's waiting arms.

7. min.
Figueiredo crosses a ball into the box and Sanchez grabs it on the first bounce. Angola could have made a more aggressive attack on the flank.

8. min.
Salcido tries to send Franco to the corner but his kick has too much power behind it and goes over the end line long before anyone can approach it.

9. min.
Ze Kalanga's out of luck
The Angolan player is down again after bearing the full brunt of Franco's kick on the back of his leg.

10. min.
Jamba fouls Franco 25 meters out.

11. min.
Pardo puts his kick on goal this time but there's not enough on it to get past Ricardo.

13. min.
Similar to their game against Portugal, the Angolan defense look shaky against a more technically skilled Mexican team.

13. min.
Delgado booked for tackle from behind on Torrado


14. min.
Off the post!
Rafael Marquez takes the free kick and puts it just along side the three-man wall. The diving Ricardo is beat by the defender who chooses to get out of the rocket's path, but the shot thumps into the post.

15. min.
Angola make an attack but the four players who have moved forward never had a chance against the eight Mexican defenders and midfielders who hurried back to cover.

17. min.
Ricardo leaps out of the box and gets on hand on the Prado's free kick lob into the box. The keeper looks anything but sure of himself and can be happy Akwa was there to clear the ball after it rolled off the tips of his fingers.

20. min.
Rough and tumble
Angola drive forward but are slowed down by pulled jerseys and pushed players -- just as the Mexicans are whenever they try to move forward. Angola and Mexico are the Cup's two teams with the most fouls to their names.

23. min.
Angola take the game to Mexico and Figueiredo rifles his team's first shot over the crossbar.

25. min.
Fouls, no flow
Neither team is able to string together more than a few passes before falling victim to a play-stopping foul. This may come down to which team has stronger shin pads and did a better job practicing free kicks.

26. min.
Making good use of the field's width, Angola control the ball in the midfield and earn free kick 30 meters out.

26. min.
Mendonca decides to have a go at it himself instead of chipping the ball in. Akwa and the other Angolan goal hunters in the box may have a word to say about the choice as they watch the ball sail well wide of its target.

28. min.
Akwa puts up a cheeky chip trying to catch Sanchez too far away from his goal. The keeper is able to back pedal and collect the ball before it can find the net.

30. min.
Similar to their game against Portugal, the Angolan defense look shaky against a more technically skilled Mexican team. If Mexico are able to combine passes a bit more they have a good chance of forcing the defense into making a lethal mistake.

32. min.
Mendonca has his legs taken out by Salcido and Mexico sets up a three-man wall.

32. min.
Figueiredo finds Akwa's head, but the captain is closely marked; his header goes high and wide.

34. min.
Standing compact in their own third of the field, Mexico are surrendering the midfield when Angola have the ball, letting the African team get to within 40 meters of goal before they have to try a move to get forward.

37. min.
The game has picked up in pace with relatively fewer fouls, but not in chances for either team as they both continue to lack the deciding pass that would get them through the defense.

38. min.
Sanchez gives away a throw-in on a bad pass to a defender and waves his arms imploring his team mates to settle the game down.

40. min.
Instead of forcing their way up the gut of the field, Mexico are attempting to get more balls to the flanks and having better luck moving forward that way.

41. min.
Near own goal for Mexico
Marquez clears a cross out of bounds but not without giving Sanchez something to worry about as the ball was uncomfortably close to the net.

44. min.
Yellow for Macanga
The Angolan sees yellow for sweeping in with both legs on a ball that was long gone.

45. min.
Ricardo shows his skills
Just before the end of the first half Franco finds himself in front of goal with a ball ricocheting to his feet. He deflects it toward goal but Ricardo parries it away like a master.

45+2. min.
Ref whistles for halftime


45. min.
Mexican coach La Volpe stands with his arms crossed, obviously unhappy, as his players file into the locker room.

45. min.
The Angolans are the more athletic of the two teams and their fitness, along with their customary physical game, is keeping them in this match.

46. min.
Angola get the second half started


47. min.
Mexico come out of the pause slower than in the first half and more willing to pass the ball to open players rather than run at the Angolans.

49. min.
Franco is upset
He was pulled down in the penalty box by Kali just as a cross came in. Referee Maidin doesn't give him a second look.

50. min.
Ze Kalanga booked for throwing an elbow into Marquez


52. min.
Mexico makes an offensive change
Zinha leave the pitch for winger/striker Jesus Arellano.

54. min.
Mexico keep control
Angola are having a hard time getting control of the ball as Mexico sets the tempo in the Angolan half. Mexico definitely aren't looking for a draw in Hanover.

56. min.
Mexico nearly there
Franco has a chance as Ricardo is slow coming out of goal on a long flicked ball from midfield, but Ricardo gets just enough of his hand on to the ball to keep from dropping into the net.

58. min.
Jamba grabs his back on the ground after falling badly. He needs a second but slowly works his way to his feet and gets ready for another Mexican attack.

61. min.
Angola: Enough is enough
Angola decide they've had enough of waiting for Mexico to attack and move the ball into the final third. What their passes and shots lack in accuracy is being made up for in hustle.

62. min.
Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole!
The Mexican fans, who clearly outnumber their Angolan counterparts, come back to life to cheer their team on. Favored coming into the match, the Mexicans need the help in the second half.

65. min.
Ricardo one hands it
The Angolan keeper fishes the ball out the air before it lands on Bravo's head (and possibly in the back of the net). It's an unorthodox style, but seems to be working well for Ricardo.

66. min.
Omar Bravo gets through after Jamba gives up the ball but even one-on-one with Ricardo, he's not able to slot the ball home.

68. min.
Mateus out and Mantorras comes in


70. min.
Marquez chips a ball over Figueiredo then runs right into him, earning Mexico a free kick from 35 meters out.

71. min.
Marquez's pass isn't close enough to the charging Arellano for the new man to get a shot on goal.

73. min.
Another change for Angola
Figueiredo leaves for Rui Marques.

74. min.
Mexico change, too
Jose Fonseca takes to the pitch in place of Guillermo Franco.

75. min.
Ricardo does it with two hands this time around, picking Pardo's corner kick out of the air.

76. min.
Mendez gets a nice lob into the penalty box but is surrounded by Angolan defenders and can only fire his shot into the back of Kali's legs.

78. min.
Back in front of Sanchez
Angola change up the pace of the game a bit and move the ball forward toward Mexican keeper Sanchez as cheers of "AN-GO-LA, AN-GO-LA, AN-GO-LA" begin to erupt.

79. min.
Pineda makes way for Ramon Morales


79. min.
Andre Macanga sent off
Marquez tries to lob a ball past Macanga, but the Angolan raises his right hand and flags it down and receives his second yellow card of the game for an unnecessary foul. Marquez was only in the middle of the field.

82. min.
Fonseca takes a beaut of a pass that lands on his foot and fires it into the side netting.

83. min.
Ze Kalanga is taken out of the match in favor of Miloy.

85. min.
Fonseca takes too long
Fonseca dribbles into the penalty box and through two defenders, getting closer and closer to goal, but the extra time he takes to get a shot off lets Ricardo line up to block it.

86. min.
Ricardo booked for delaying the game


88. min.
Ricardo saves the tie
Fonseca lines up and fires a rocket at the upper corner that the diving Ricardo is able to slap away. Seconds later Bravo hits the post. Chances are coming fast and furious now.

90+1. min.
Inaccuracy killing Mexico
Against 10 men, Mexico's passes are going far off target, allowing the Angolans to pick them off easily and send the ball forward, running down the clock.

90+3. min.
Mexico-Angola ends in tie!
Salcido takes a final cross out of the air and referee Maidin blows the final whistle.

90+3. min.
Angola has a new hero
Joao Ricardo gives Angola their first ever World Cup point. All of Angola will remember Ricardo's acrobatic saves that kept the underdogs level with highly favored Mexico.

90+3. min.
The tie was all Angola was looking for in Hanover, but Mexico expected to take three points and secure a spot in the round of 16. Despite have the clearly better chances and hitting the post twice in the match, the pressure will be on the Mexicans when they meet Portugal next week.