RICARDO LA VOLPE, THE Argentine coach of Mexico, is one of those hair-trigger eccentrics that the World Cup throws up. With his sixth-form tie, tumble-dried hair and media paranoia, he is like a version of José Mourinho succumbing to the ravages of middle-aged spread.

However, this ultimately emphatic victory over an organised Iran side with second-round aspirations, shows that after the doping scandal during last season’s Confederations Cup in Germany, leading to one-year bans for two players, and some forthright criticism from Mexican icon Hugo Sánchez, La Volpe is doing something right. Whether Mexico can go quite as far as their fanatical support, aided by a “Millwall On Tour” flag in the top tier of the Franken- Stadion, demands remains to be seen. When the going gets tough, Mexico usually go home, but there was enough in their second half display to suggest they are darkening horses.

Played out against a political backdrop painted by Iran’s anti-semitic president, the game happily ended as a celebration. Anyone in this part of Germany now knows that Mexicans are 24-hour party people and two goals from Omar Bravo and a third by Zinha provided the poppers.

Rafael Márquez, Mexico’s captain, said that the last 16 will not be good enough this time, and with Argentina or Holland likely opponents there, it is clear this win has given free rein to their confidence.

Iran are not makeweights. Admittedly, world champions-elect should not lose to Queens Park Rangers, as Iran managed last year, but Branko Ivankovic, their Croatian coach, and a core of German-based players have helped forge a grittiness to back up the technical ability.

Márquez was given a framed two-foot rug during the preliminaries and Iran then threatened to pull the proverbial rug from under his feet with their aerial prowess.

Unfortunately, with Iran it is often difficult to divorce football from politics. Previously, their players have handed white roses to the United States players in a deliberate attempt to build diplomatic bridges. This time they were more likely to receive a bouquet of barbed wire after after the indefensible comments of the Iranian president and Holocaust denier.

The players ignored such misanthropy, but after 28 minutes they fell behind. Pavel Pardo’s free kick from deep on the right was headed on by Guillermo Franco and Bravo scored from close-range. It was a neat goal for a side playing almost exclusively in white boots.

Iran, though, came back strongly. Rahman Rezaei met a corner and, although Oswaldo Sánchez, playing despite the death of his father last week, parried it, the ball broke to Yahya Golmohammadi and he scooped a shot into the roof of the net.

As Mourinho might have done, La Volpe did not hang about in ringing the changes. When Jared Borgetti came off shortly after the break, Mexico were out of substitutes, with Andres Guardardo, the teenage prodigy, still on the bench. Borgetti is a prolific marksman for Mexico and goes by the swashbuckling nickname of El Zorro. Bolton Wanderers fans probably believe this is because he is anonymous and sadly it was that version that turned up in Nuremberg.

There was flair elsewhere, though. A Márquez backheel volley started a move that ended with him nodding the ball past Golmohammadi, who blocked him. The Italian referee ignored his appeals and those of the Iranian defenders who really were pushing their luck by wanting him booked.

It was a sign of the mounting pressure. Márquez became an increasing influence, spraying balls around with a languid class and then, on the rare occasion Ali Daei had a chance to add to his century of international goals, getting his head their first.

The decisive goal was merited but calamitous. Ebrahim Mirzapour, the Iran goalkeeper, should have been reprieved when an appalling clearance landed at Rezaei’s feet. The centre half dithered, lost possession and a nice pass by Zinha enabled Bravo to slide home his second. Three minutes later and Zinha headed in Mario Méndez’s cross to end any hopes of a comeback.