Mexico's Raul Jimenez (C) scores during the FIFA 2014 World Cup intercontinental playoff 1st leg qualification match between Mexico and New Zealand,at the Azteca stadium, in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Nov.13, 2013. (Xinhua/Camilo Monaco)
MEXICO CITY, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Mexico almost secured their place for next year's World Cup finals by routing New Zealand 5-1 on Wednesday in their intercontinental playoff first leg.
It was a massive turnaround for Mexico, who barely made it to the playoff after struggling in their North and Central America and Caribbean regional group, finishing fourth out of six teams.
Miguel Herrera, who last month became Mexico's fourth manager in six weeks, called up only domestic league players while leaving out Europe-based stars such as Manchester United's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Villareal's Giovani dos Santos. Herrera fielded seven players from his Mexico City team against New Zealand.
New Zealand, who made it to the 2010 World Cup after a memorable playoff victory against Bahrain, had hoped to keep it close but Mexico were the stronger side.
Mexico have played in 14 of the last 19 World Cups while New Zealand only appeared twice, making them massive underdogs against the CONCACAF giants.
The All Whites were missing their captain, key defender Winston Reid, who was ruled out of the playoff due to an ankle injury he suffered with his English Premier League club West Ham.
Defender Paul Aguilar opened the score sheet when he volleyed home a ball deflected inside the Kiwi area in the 31st minute.
Club America teammate and striker Raul Jimenez followed eight minutes later with a header following a corner kick.
Forward Oribe Peralta scored his first goal three minutes into the second half, tapping in a nifty low cross from Miguel Arturo Layun.
Layun gave Peralta his second goal in the 80th minute, this time with a high cross that the forward headed out of goalkeeper Glen Moss Moss's reach into the left corner of the net.
Former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, the 34-year-old who now plays for Mexican club Leon, scored the fifth goal with a header from a corner kick in the 84th minute
New Zealand's Chris James scored a consolation goal a minute later.
Mexico won just twice and scored a paltry seven goals in 10 games within the CONCACAF final group. Herrera's pre-game call to take a big goal advantage into the second leg in New Zealand on November 20.
