Guillermo Ochoa did it again. Poland were awarded a penalty after a VAR check and Robert Lewandowski, their captain and one of the best strikers in the world, stepped up. The Pole journalists in the media tribune were all smiles and the fans hugged each other in the stands.
While Lewandowski was about to take the shot, Ochoa, all the while cool and calm, tilted towards his right. The Barcelona striker, thinking he had already wrongfooted the Mexican, placed the ball on his right. In a flash Ochoa changed his weight and dived low to his left to make a brilliant save.
The noisy and boisterous Mexican fans, who gave an impression as if 974 Stadium is in Mexico City and not Doha, went up in joy; Lewandowski could not believe what had just happened and Mexican players rushed to congratulate their captain.
In his fifth World Cup, Ochoa has done this before. Saving his team when the going got tough. The save ensured that the scoreline remained goalless at full time.
The biggest praise had come from his Poland counterpart Wojciech Szczesny on match-eve. “I have seen how he plays in the World Cups and he has always been a genius. To be honest, he is an excellent goalkeeper, with a lot of experience,” Szczesny has been effusive in his praise.
Ochoa, who made the national team in 2005, has been a sensation in World Cups. Be it against Brazil, or Croatia or the Netherlands, he has always stood tall. Tuesday was no different.
“Being in a World Cup is never easy for a footballer. There are great players throughout history who don’t have the opportunity. For me, playing in five has been wonderful,” Ochoa had said.
Ochoa is among four players here who are in the exclusive group with five World Cup appearances, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Mexico teammate Andres Guardado are the other three.
Saudi Arabia made Messi’s life miserable in Lusail earlier in the day, Ochoa though left the field with a beaming face. At the final whistle he got a pat from the man he denied from breaking the World Cup duck.
Mexico on Tuesday frustrated Poland with some tight marking. Lewandowski could not do much. It’s a little weird that someone who is highly successful in club football hasn’t been able to set the stage on fire wearing the national team jersey. Yes he is the highest goal scorer for his country with 76 strikes.
Playing as a single striker in a 4-1-4-1 formation, the 34-year-old found the going tough and the penalty miss made life all the more difficult.
