The World Cup is approaching and everything seems to indicate that the Mexican goalkeeper will play in his sixth World Cup: Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, Qatar 2022 and soon Mexico-USA-Canada 2026. His legacy is undeniable, but his present is questionable.
Criticism of Memo Ochoa has intensified over the years and now, in the twilight of his career, many doubt whether he currently has the level to be considered among the three best goalkeepers in Mexico and whether even in his best years he was close to the level of the world’s greatest.
A goalkeeper is judged mainly by the number of goals he concedes, and in this area the statistics are fatal: throughout his career, the Mexican goalkeeper has conceded more than 1,200 goals, a number that contrasts strongly with that of goalkeepers considered to be world class.
Memo Ochoa’s numbers compared to other goalkeepers
- Guillermo Ochoa: 1,200 goals conceded
- Iker Casillas: 869 goals conceded
- Gianluigi Buffon: 825 goals conceded
- Oliver Kahn: 786 goals conceded
The difference is evident. Even when compared to Oswaldo Sanchez, who conceded around 900 goals in 701 games, the contrast is still noticeable.
However, there is an important nuance worth noting: the quality of the teams he played for. With the exception of America, most of the teams in which he developed (Ajaccio, Salernitana, AVS) were clubs at the bottom of the table, with expectations of avoiding relegation. Casillas, for example, spent most of his career at Real Madrid and Porto, clubs that dominated their respective leagues. Another factor is the time spent in the game. Casillas, continuing with the example, retired due to a heart condition at the age of 38, while Ochoa will probably still be active until he is 41 years old.
How many goals has Memo Ochoa conceded at each club?
- America: 525 goals in 424 matches
- Ajaccio: 186 goals in 116 games
- Malaga: 19 goals in 19 games
- Granada: 82 goals in 39 games
- Standard Liege: 113 goals in 86 games
- Salernitana: 77 goals in 41 games
- 45 goals in 23 games
- AEL Limassol: 15 goals in 6 games
- Mexico national team: 154 goals in 152 matches
On the other hand, Ochoa is also recognized as one of the most outstanding players of the Mexican national team in the World Cups. With miraculous saves against players such as Neymar, Luka Modric or Robert Lewandowski, the Mexican goalkeeper has managed to establish himself with the tricolor team and beyond his limitations, under the three posts is highlighted as one of the best in the history of Mexico.
Throughout his career, Guillermo Ochoa‘s name was linked with clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United and PSG. However, the best club he managed to reach was Malaga in La Liga, where he never managed to establish himself as a starter. In contrast, contemporary goalkeepers from the Americas such as Keylor Navas, David Ospina and Claudio Bravo did manage to consolidate themselves in the elite, building their careers from modest teams to European champions.
It is clear that Ochoa is far from his best, and that he undoubtedly never managed to make the leap in quality to be compared with the best goalkeepers in the world, but he has been left behind in a category in which no other Mexican goalkeeper has reached.
Read the full article here
