As Wednesday dawned, Mexico had at least three routes to the World Cup’s knockout stage.
The first was the easiest: Beat Sweden Wednesday in Ekaterinburg, or even earn a draw, and the Mexicans were assured a first-place finish in Group F and a spot in the round of 16.
The second was more complicated: Lose to Sweden, finish in a three-way tie atop the group, but find a way to advance via the sometimes complicated FIFA tie-breaking scenarios.
The third route? That was absurd. It would allow Mexico to lose to Sweden, but bypass the tie-breaking scenario altogether.