Mexico’s goalkeeping dilemma

Rewind just a few months and the title of this post would seem slightly ridiculous.

“Dilemma? What dilemma? Guillermo Ochoa is certain to don the gloves on June 11,” might well have been the reaction.

That is no longer the case.

Ochoa’s position as Mexico’s number 1 is under threat thanks to a bad run of form and some high profile mistakes. On March 17 playing for the national team against North Korea, Ochoa misjudged a long range shot coming straight at him and appeared to veer away from the ball completely. Then on March 28 in an America against Puebla league match, ‘Memo’ Ochoa made a very similar mistake from a long range shot that bounced just in front of him. In short, the 24-year-old no longer looks his old, secure self.

The video below shows the two mistakes:



Coinciding with Ochoa’s slide has been the excellent form of Guadalajara Chivas captain Luis Michel.

Nothing could’ve been more emblematic of the swaying of the Number 1 shirt towards Michel than the clasico on April 4 between Ochoa’s America and Chivas which was built in the Mexican press as the “battle of the ‘keepers.”

“Michel took it,” ran one headline the next day. In fact the game couldn’t have gone better for the 30-year-old Chivas man. After pulling off a string of fine saves in the first 30 minutes, Chivas scored an ugly, deflected goal that Ochoa could do nothing about.

The score remained 1-0 and Michel was hailed as the hero of Mexico’s most important game after almost single handedly keeping America at bay.

Cries of “Goalkeeper! Goalkeeper!” rang around the stadium. The less than inventive chant was directed at Michel, while Ochoa could only watch on.

Both have just finished the first week of training camp with the group of 17 domestic based players alongside veteran goalie Oscar Perez. All three have been busy giving their own opinions on the hot topic.

Said Ochoa: “Yes, of course I see myself as the number 1 come June 11. I have to think in that way and train daily with that mentality. It would be a mistake if I didn’t think like that but at the end of the day it’s the coach who will decide.”

And of his recent mistakes Ochoa explained he was looking forward, not backwards: “I’m relaxed, I spoke about them at the time. They’re part of the job, part of the goalkeeper's role and I’m thinking about moving forward, thinking positively about the World Cup and preparing myself hard for what’s coming.”

Michel too is focused on being in the starting 11 come June 11.

“Javier (Aguirre) told us that any of the three of us could play and we have to show him what we have and play our best so we’re ready when the opportunity comes,” said Guadalajara-born Michel in a press conference. “I’m here to compete, to put in my grain of sand and to give everything I can to win a place in the team.”

The most likely scenario is that Ochoa will likely get the nod come June 11 because Michel is relatively untried at international level (2 caps) and Ochoa, with his Sideshow Bob-esque locks, is something of a “golden boy” in Mexico.

The question of who will get the goalkeeper’s job does add an interesting subplot to Mexico’s pre-World Cup friendly matches. If Ochoa continues to blunder, the door may well open for the popular Michel.

Tale of the tape:

Guillermo Ochoa

Born: Guadalajara, Jalisco (June 13, 1985 – 24-years-old)

Club: America

Caps: 19

Luis Michel

Born: Guadalajara, Jalisco (July 21, 1979 – 30-years-old)

Club: Guadalajara Chivas (Captain)

Caps: 2

Also keep in mind a few other goalkeepers that could make last minute challenges:

Jesus Corona: The Cruz Azul man looked like he was next in line for Ochoa’s shirt. Then in February he beat up a young man outside a Guadalajara bar and tried to cover it up by saying it was his cousin ‘Carlos,’ who apparently looks very much like Corona. He looked like he might get away with it until a video surfaced showing Corona’s father offering to pay the hospital treatment to fix the broken nose and cheekbone of the young man in exchange for not taking the case to the police. Corona was forced to come clean and, good goalkeeper though he is, is unlikely to go to South Africa due to ungoing legal proceedings.

Oswaldo Sanchez: Mexico’s first choice goalkeeper in Germany in 2006, veteran Sanchez doesn’t seem to be in favour with coach Aguirre although his undoubted experience makes him an outside bet. At 36-years-old, time isn’t on his side although he’s in decent form for his team Santos Laguna.

Oscar ‘El Conejo’ Perez: Known as ‘the rabbit’ for his jumping ability (at least that’s the official explanation), 37-year-old Perez was a surprise call up for the recent training camp. The Jaguares de Chiapas player has 53 international caps to his name and believes he has a shot at starting on June 11 if Aguirre loses faith in Ochoa. He’s known as a favourite of Aguirre.