Guillermo Ochoa, soccer player for the Mexican national team, stated that he is leaving this World Cup “sad but proud and with his head held high.”
Ochoa was one of the few Mexican soccer players to stop in the mixed zone to speak to the media after the dramatic elimination in the group stage, the first in eight appearances, after beating Saudi Arabia.
“I am obviously sad, but proud of my teammates, of the group. We leave with our heads held high. I told them to feel proud of what they had done, to raise their heads, that from the outset not everyone can experience a World Cup. We are lucky and privileged”, explained the goalkeeper, who has lived his fifth World Cup in Doha.
“Many things can happen in football. Today’s match was well played and well competed, the one against Poland the same and the one against Argentina… Were we unlucky? I would tell you that luck doesn’t play a role, but what made it difficult for us was Poland’s second goal against Arabia and the second one scored by Argentina. Small details that change your course”, he added.
Mexico left the World Cup after beating Arabia 1-2 and only needed one more goal to reach the round of 16.
“It was what we had talked about before the game, that whatever happened we were going to give everything and fight until the end for our country, for Mexico. In my opinion I feel that the team competed in every game. In the match against Poland we competed very well, in the match against Argentina… I know what many say about the approach, but the approach was good, because if we had scored 0-0 they would tell us that it was very good, and a piece of genius changed our minds. script, a genius from Messi, on top of that”.
“Today he gave himself up, ran, got in, I feel we could have scored more goals. We weren’t fine, you were offside, and it’s a pity. The team melted down,” he said.
On the advancement of Mexico as a team, with the World Cup 2022 on the horizon, Ochoa said that this should not be judged by a result.
“It would be a mistake to say that the cycle is over and start from scratch. We shouldn’t. There are youngsters who have gained experience, who played in their first World Cup, we have to maintain it and guide them for the next one, which is not going to be easy. There will be no playoffs, only the Gold Cup. It will be difficult. Hopefully the Asian Cup, the Copa América can be played. Playing only friendlies is not going to benefit us”.
Finally, Ochoa sent a message to the large fans that accompanied Mexico in Qatar.
“We thank the fans, because we wanted to give them joy. Until today they had only celebrated the penalty that I saved. We wanted them to celebrate a goal, that a goal in a World Cup for your country is the most beautiful thing there is, “he concluded.