'Memo' to world: no way past this goalkeeper
Guillermo Ochoa's performance between the posts to deny Luiz Felipe Scolari's men draws praise as El Tri edge closer to qualifiying for last 16
Mexico coach Miguel Herrera admitted he had never seen a better goalkeeping display at the World Cup than Guillermo Ochoa's performance in his side's 0-0 draw with Brazil on Tuesday.
The heroics of Ochoa, who is known as "Memo", helped Mexico frustrate the tournament hosts in Fortaleza and left El Tri needing just a point to qualify for the last 16.
And Herrera acknowledged that even Ochoa's great compatriot Jorge Campos, the flamboyant 'keeper of the 1990s, never produced such a decisive performance at the highest level.
It wasn't that the other two did not look solid, but we decided Memo looked just a tiny bit better than them
"In my memory, I can't remember a 'keeper who performed like that in a World Cup. Campos was great, but Memo gave the security to the team, which we needed at the back," said Herrera, adding that his decision to select the 28-year-old ahead of Jose Corona and Alfredo Talavera had been fully justified.
"I decided to pick these three for the World Cup and then I had to select a first-choice 'keeper. It was never in my mind to start changing. I sat down with my backroom staff and my goalkeeping coach [Jose Torruco].
"It wasn't that the other two did not look solid, but we decided Memo looked just a tiny bit better than them. That's why we decided Memo would be our 'keeper at the start of the World Cup."
Memo stood tall to deny Paulinho, Neymar and Thiago Silva, blocking eight attempts on the goal to the delight of thousands of Mexicans in the Castelao arena.