Is Mexico's goalie always this good, or was the Brazil game a fluke?

Guillermo Ochoa has been good for a very long time. He actually has an inspiring tale of rising above sheer misfortune.

• He was excellent in Mexico at Club América, getting his debut at the age of 18 and soon becoming first-choice keeper.

• He soon became part of the Mexican international squad as a goalkeeper, and even became first-choice even there. His heroics vs Brazil in the 2007 Copa America are famous, where Mexico recorded a 2-0 victory.

This is the first time he was in the international limelight - the 2008 and 2009 FIFA video game covers featured him.

The North American cover of FIFA 08. Yes, that's Ronaldinho, Ochoa and a very highly rated 17 year old named Jozy Altidore. The 2009 cover has Maurice Edu instead of Altidore.

He was consigned to second choice, however, for both WC 2006 and WC 2010, and was on the bench for both tournaments.

In the summer of 2011, he was primed to go to a big club - in fact PSG were ready to sign him and had begun talks with his agent. But then disaster struck. Ochoa and four other Mexico players tested positive for clenbuterol after a Gold Cup match in 2011.

And the offers disappeared as fast as they came. Two months later, an investigation concluded that they had unknowingly eaten contaminated meat and were let off the hook. But by then most clubs had finished their transfer business and Ochoa was left in the wilderness. The offer from PSG never came - they signed Nicolas Douchez and Salvatore Sirigu instead.

The only club who was willing to take him was AC Ajaccio, a Corsican side who had been recently promoted from Ligue 2 and were the smallest club in Ligue 1. And so, Ochoa joined. He believed that it would be a good stepping stone for him to improve his career. His pay was one-fourth of the amount he got in Mexico, but he agreed.

Since then, he's been steadily spectacular. In 112 matches over three seasons, he's had 400+ saves. He could've left after his first year at Ajaccio - he was that good. But he stayed, out of a sense of loyalty towards a club who stuck by him despite the doping allegations. He helped the smallest club in the league stave off relegation for two consecutive seasons.

The match against Brazil wasn't even his best in my book. That honour would go to his performance against Qatar-bankrolled PSG in August 2013. PSG had 39 shots, 17 on target. Ajaccio had 1 shot in the entire match.
The match ended 1-1. Ochoa made 13 saves. Watch for yourself.


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