Football fans throughout Mexico Monday celebrated the national team's 3-1 win over Croatia in its final game of the group phase of the 2014 World Cup.

The victory at Recife's Pernambuco Arena pushes Mexico to the knockout rounds, in which it will first play the Netherlands.

Mexico's prestigious Daily Reforma immediately hailed the win on its website with the words "Bring on Holland" under the headline "We produce heroes."

City streets were empty just before and during the match, which started at 3 pm local time, as Mexicans huddled at restaurants, bars, shopping centers, offices or at home to watch the decisive game.

"Mexico deserves to advance, since it played best," fan Osvaldo Hernandez told a Xinhua reporter after the game.

Hernandez, who had been watching the match at a restaurant in the south of the capital Mexico City, said he was surprised to see Mexico score the number of goals it did.

"My prediction was 1-0 in favor of Mexico, but how great that they scored three goals. I'm happy that the national team has improved so much and deserves to continue advancing," he said.

Fan Luis Rodriguez noted the team "was disorganized and appeared nervous at the start of the game, but they took control after their first goal."

He said he was confident the team will continue to qualify for subsequent rounds.

Despite on and off rain, after the game thousands of fans waving Mexico's red, white and green flag converged on the capital's monument to independence, the traditional site for celebrating soccer victories.

Some circled the monument on foot, others drove around it, honking their horns to express their joy.

British daily The Telegraph reported from the stadium in Recife that when the match ended, "you could have heard the noise in Cancun," as thousands of Mexican fans broke into cheers.

Mexico will play Holland on Sunday.

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