Six-month contract, started on January 2, 2023, with which Salerno has secured the services of Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, born in 1985. The Granata have already surprised us on other occasions with fantasy football signings (remember the arrival of French star Frank Ribery in September 2021), and Ochoa is another choice, partly forced by Luigi Sepe's injury, which certainly won't be a losing bet.
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But who is the goalkeeper that all the media have been talking about since January? Memo, as he has been nicknamed since he was a child, is a legend for Mexican fans and beyond. With the Tricolor national team he participated in five editions of the World Cup, the first in 2006, the last in the one just ended, in which he was also the protagonist in the match against Poland in Group C. He deserves credit for the point earned at the end of the match, thanks to the penalty saved from Robert Lewandowski.
Mexico, however, failed to get past the group stage by a whisker. The fatal goal conceded against Saudi Arabia, which brought the goal difference to minus one compared to Poland, who advanced as second despite having the same number of points as the Mexicans. Of all the World Cups in which they participated Guillermo Ochoa was, at a national level, the most disappointing. In past editions, Mexico has always reached the round of 2006. In 1, they almost reached the quarterfinals with a 1-98 draw against Argentina at the end of regulation time, mocked in the XNUMXth minute by a goal by Maxi Rodriguez. At that time, Memo was the third goalkeeper, and did not play any matches.
In 2010, Argentina eliminated La Verde once again, with a resounding 3-1 by Higuain and Tevez, and Ochoa once again on the bench as second goalkeeper. The 2014 edition of Brazil saw Guillermo start as a starter and play an excellent World Cup. It was the Netherlands who shattered the dreams of the Aztec team: after the temporary advantage of dos Santos in the 48th minute, first Sneijder (88') and then Huntelaar (90+4') overturned in a few minutes a match that seemed already won. Russia 2018, once again him between the posts, eliminated again in the eighth finals, this time by Brazil. The clear 2-0 highlighted the superiority of the Verdeoro.
The next World Cup, in 2026, will see Mexico automatically qualify as the host country and of course Ochoa, who will be 41 years old, wants to be there. "I want to be the man of the six World Cups," he said in an interview. "It's my new dream. I could be the only one in history. I love the World Cup, I really love it." And indeed, if he were to be called up, he would be the only player in the history of the World Cup to have participated in six editions. So far he holds the record of five together with three other compatriots: Antonio Carbajal, Rafael Márquez and Andrés Guardado; Lothar Matthäus, 1990 world champion; to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi; and to another legendary goalkeeper who, if it hadn't been for the absurd failure to qualify in recent years, would have already broken every record: Gianluigi Buffon.
It will not be impossible for Ochoa to participate in the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States. In the past we have seen players over 40 wearing the national team jersey. Dino Zoff even became world champion at the age of 40 years and 134 days, in the 1982 World Cup in Spain. And Roger Milla, Cameroon striker, became the oldest scorer of the competition in 1994, scoring a goal against Russia at the age of 42 years and 39 days. Not to mention the most incredible debut in the history of football: Essam El-Hadary, Egyptian goalkeeper born in 1973, took to the field as a starter on the third day of the 2018 World Cup at the “tender age” of 45 years and 161 days.
If he did it, we are sure that Guillermo Ochoa can do it too. And maybe he could decide to surpass the Egyptian and reach the 2030 World Cup... who knows. For now, Salerno fans are enjoying the new signing, who has already integrated very well and has shown, against Milan and Turin, that he knows his stuff: eight saves in his debut against the Rossoneri, seven in the draw against Toro. If he continues like this, the World Cup is assured.
Article published on 17 January 2023 - 10:50
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