The result confirmed the Dutch as group winners.

The Dutch went off to a flying start with two goals in the first 20 minutes but relaxed in the second half and allowed the Mexicans to come back into the game.

The Netherlands took the lead through Philip Cocu in the fourth minute. Dennis Bergkamp hooked on a delightful through ball and Cocu made no mistake with a firm left foot drive.

They extended their lead in the 19th minute when Ronald de Boer fought past three Mexican defenders and squeezed a low drive in off the post past Jorge Campos.

The Netherlands looked assured and confident in the opening 45 minutes while the Mexicans struggled to maintain possession and bring strikers Blanco and Luis Hernandez into the game.

Five minutes before the break Overmars almost made it three when, after a neat one-twowith Cocu, he chipped Campos but the shot went narrowly wide.The impressive Cocu, who joins Barcelona from PSV Eindhoven after the World Cup, was involved again in the 51st minute when he hit the bar after smart work from Bergkamp.

The Mexicans switched to four strikers in the second half with Jesus Arellano coming on at half-time and Ricardo Pelaez introduced 10 minutes after the break.

The Dutch appeared to ease off and paid the price in the 75th minute when Pelaez headed a corner from German Villa through a crowded area and past Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

The Dutch then came under heavy late pressure, and a Jesus Ramirez shot was ruled offside two minutes from time. Ramirez was then sent off for arguing.Hernandez got the equaliser into time added on when he chased a long ball and slid his shot under the diving Van Der Sar.

Goalscorer Luis Hernandez dedicated his team's success in reaching the second round of the World Cup to his fellow Mexicans.

``We dedicate this triumph to the peopleof Mexico,'' said Hernandez after his stoppage time goal had given Mexico a draw.

``It was an unbelievable game for us, fantastic. We played so well even knowing that South Korea was drawing with Belgium,'' he said.

Ironically, Belgium's failure to beat South Korea meant that Mexico would have qualified even if they had lost.

Dutch striker Philip Cocu said he felt his team had sat back too much after taking an early two goal lead.

``Maybe we sat back too much when we took the 2-0 lead because we knew they had to score three times for us to go out,'' he said.