Filed under: Guillermo Ochoa, Uncategorized | Tags: Ajaccio, Arjen Robben, Brazil, Cameroon, Club America, Costa Rica, Croatia, El-Tri, Fortaleza, France, Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magana, Giovani Dos Santos, Klaas jan Huntelaar, Manuel Neuer, Mexico, Netherlands, Oscar Perez, Rafael Marquez, Wesley Sneijder, World Cup
The Netherlands became the first team to win a World Cup match in regulation after trailing in the 88th minute when it shocked Mexico, 2-1, in Fortaleza and moved on to a quarterfinal meeting with Costa Rica while the Mexicans were eliminated in the second round for the sixth consecutive World Cup.
Four minutes into added-on time, Arjen Robben was controversially fouled along the goal line by veteran Mexican defender Rafael Marquez, and substitute Klaas jan Huntelaar buried the resulting penalty kick for the winner.
Mexico dominated much of the first half and was rewarded three minutes into the second on a sparkling left-footed strike by Giovani dos Santos from the top of the penalty area. That only awakened the Dutch, however, and after 40 minutes of increasing pressure they drew level through Wesley Sneijder. The Netherlands’ 10th corner kick (to Mexico’s two) was cleared to the top of the area and Sneijder ripped a shot first-time inside the left post. [June 29]
Comment: So much for El Tri, but more important to soccer fans, so much for the hottest goalkeeper at Brasil ’14. Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magana.
Memo Ochoa helped get Mexico a 1-0 victory over Cameroon, a scoreless draw with tournament host and favorite Brazil, and a must-win 3-1 triumph over Croatia, and his heroics continued into the second round until Sneijder and jan Huntelaar got off shots that no mortal could stop. Though no player whose team was eliminated in the round of 16 made the 2010 World Cup all-star team, Ochoa, with no more miracles to offer, could make the 2014 World Cup all-star team based on only these four matches. (Germany’s Manuel Neuer, however, may ultimately stand in his way.)
This World Cup was sweet retribution for the bushy-haired Memo. At the 2006 World Cup, he was Mexico’s 20-year-old understudy, its No. 3 goalkeeper. Four year laters, for South Africa, he was controversially No. 2, behind the veteran Oscar Perez, a decision that mystified and disappointed his many fans. This time, he made 10 official saves–many of them acrobatic–in four games, and while perhaps his greatest save was made, point-blank, by his face against the Dutch, he stamped his name on this World Cup.
So Ochoa leaves a loser. Only he sparkled in the biggest shop window of them all. After seven years at Club America and three in France, his club, Ajaccio, was relegated to the second division last spring, and Ochoa announced his intent to leave. What kind of impression did Memo make while with Ajaccio? One Ajaccio supporter announced that he would sell his home and everything in it–including his wife and kids–for $13.6 million in an effort to help raise what he believes would be the funds needed to keep Ochoa in an Ajaccio shirt.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Antonio Briseno, Bobby Wood, CONCACAF Gold Cup, Conor Doyle, Efrain Juarez, Giovani Casillas, Giovani Dos Santos, Joseph Gyau, Omar Salgado, Rose Bowl, Sebastian Lletget, Thomas Rongen
Mexico won its second FIFA Under-17 World Cup title in six years, beating Uruguay, 2-0, in the final in Mexico City. Antonio Briseno, in the 31st minute, and Giovani Casillas, at 90+, scored for the Mexicans. [July 10]
Comment: Mexico’s triumph came just two weeks after the senior Mexican team, featuring Giovani Dos Santos, Efrain Juarez and other graduates of the 2005 U-17 championship side, defeated the U.S., 4-2, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup title game at the Rose Bowl.
The gulf between the Americans and Mexicans isn’t as wide at the senior level as some critics charged after the Gold Cup, but it’s crystal clear that it will grow before it closes. While Mexico was making its run to the U-17 crown, the U.S. was falling in the second round. Worse still, while Mexico heads to Colombia later this month for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup, the U.S. under-20s are left to contemplate their elimination last March during the CONCACAF qualifiers, the first time in seven tries that they’ve failed to reach the finals and a setback that cost longtime coach Thomas Rongen his job.
The U.S. under-20s feature some bright talents, including midfielders Sebastian Lletget and Joseph Gyau and forwards Omar Salgado, Bobby Wood and Conor Doyle, so a bit of help may be on the way for the U.S. seniors. However, in terms of collective big-game experience and big-game success, the future lies with Mexico.
