Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña, commonly referred to as Memo, is a Mexican goalkeeper
who plays for the Mexico national team.
He is currently a free agent, having last played for Ajaccio.
Ochoa made his debut for América in 2004 in a league match against Monterrey.
He won his first league title in 2005 and was the club's first-choice goalkeeper up
until 2011, making over 200 appearances for América.
That summer Ochoa was transferred to Ajaccio in France.
He spent three seasons with the club until their relegation from Ligue 1 in 2014.
A Mexican international since 2005, Ochoa received his first cap during a friendly match
against Hungary, which Mexico won 2–0.
Ochoa was Mexico's starting goalkeeper in both the 2014 FIFA World Cup, being chosen
twice as man of the match, and the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, won by the Mexicans.
He was also included in the squads for the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, and the 2007 CONCACAF
Gold Cup, and was originally in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup before a doping suspension.
Club career América
Guillermo Ochoa made his debut with Club América during the Clausura 2004 tournament against
Monterrey, being only 18 years old when called up by coach Leo Beenhakker.
Ochoa quickly demonstrated his skill and talent in goal, and the young goalkeeper was thrust
into the spotlight to replace injured veteran Adolfo Ríos.
He would then share the starting job with Rios after he recovered from his aforementioned
injury.
When the Apertura 2004 tournament began, Ochoa was thought to be the heir apparent to Ríos,
who had retired.
However, new coach Oscar Ruggeri brought new goalkeepers with him, among them Argentine
Sebastián Saja.
Ruggeri's stay at the club was marred by controversy and unpopular decisions.
He was fired after only six games into the season and Ochoa was soon reinstated by new
coach Mario Carrillo.
Since then, he has started every game for Club América barring incidents involving
injuries or national team duty.
Under Carrillo, Ochoa won his first championship with América following the Clausura 2005
season.
Ochoa would start 2008 in great form, helping América win the InterLiga tournament with
excellent performances, most notably in the group match against Monarcas Morelia, where
he saved a late penalty kick, and América's 1–0 lead.
In the winter of 2010, there was much speculation by various sources in England as to where
Ochoa would move to for the 2010–11 season.
English newspaper Metro reported that Manchester United were keen on signing Ochoa.
It was also reported by The Daily Mail that Ochoa was handed a trial with Fulham.
This was later denied by both Fulham and América.
Guillermo Ochoa's last season with América was the Clausura 2011, which ended with a
quarter-final defeat to Monarcas Morelia.
Ajaccio 2011–12 season
On 4 July 2011 Ochoa signed a three year contract, with an additional one year option, with the
recently promoted AC Ajaccio.
Ochoa played in his first two friendlies with Ajaccio against Bordeaux, losing 1–2 and
against Real Sociedad, losing 0–4.
He made his official club debut on 5 August 2011 against Toulouse, losing 0–2.
On 18 and 21 December Ajaccio won two games in a row, with Ochoa keeping two consecutive
clean-sheets, his third clean-sheet in total of the season.
Ochoa also contributed in 3–0 victory against Étoile Fréjus Saint-Raphaël in the Coupe
de France.
On 14 January 2012 he helped Ajaccio with a 2–1 victory over Auxerre, and on 21 January
he played against Valenciennes in a 2–1 victory which put Ajaccio out of the relegation
zone since the start of the season.
Ajaccio won its sixth game with Ochoa in a 2–1 home win against Dijon.
For the last game of the season Ajaccio needed a win against Toulouse to get out of the relegation
zone.
Ochoa started and played 90 minutes against Toulouse and helped Ajaccio win 2–0 to stay
in the Ligue 1.
Ochoa finished his first season with 8 cleansheets, 43 saves and 151 blocks.
Unfortunately he also finished the Ligue 1 season with 59 goals conceded, making him,
along with Caen goalkeeper Alexis Thébaux, the most scored-on keeper of the season.
2012–13 season On 1 July, Ajaccio's club president Alain
Orsoni announced that Ochoa would stay for the 2012–13 season amidst rumored interest
from clubs such as Galatasaray and Sevilla, but the neither the clubs nor Ochoa's manager
could come to a solid agreement.
On 11 August Ochoa started and played against Nice in a 1–0 away win for their first game
and win for the season.
On 19 August Ochoa played in Ajaccio's 0–0 draw at home against Paris Saint-Germain,
in which he played a big part by keeping a clean sheet In the third match of the season
Ochoa played 60 minutes against Valenciennes in which he had to be substituted out due
to a collision with a teammate.
Ajaccio lost the match 0–3.
Ochoa finished the season with 12 clean sheets.
2013–14 season Ochoa started in Ajaccio's first game of the
season on 11 August 2013 against Saint-Etienne.
Ajaccio lost the match 0–1.
On 18 August, Ochoa played all 90 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain in the Parc des
Princes, with Ajaccio taking an early 1–0 advantage, though an Edinson Cavani goal in
the 86th minute cost Ajaccio a famous victory, instead having to settle for a 1–1 draw.
Ochoa's performance was praised, with many noting that the Mexican had saved 12 of the
39 total shots by PSG.
On 18 January 2014 Ochoa played his 100th match in Europe in Ajaccio's 0–2 away loss
to Nice.
Following a 1–2 defeat to Bastia on 20 April, Ajaccio were officially relegated to the Ligue
2 after spending three years in the top flight.
Ochoa played his final match with the club on 17 May in a 1–3 defeat to Saint-Etienne.
After announcing his departure officially, the club bid farewell to Ochoa in an open
letter on social media.
International career
At the age of 20 Guillermo Ochoa was called up by Mexico's former manager Ricardo La Volpe
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup as the third-choice goalkeeper.
Newly appointed manager Hugo Sánchez called Ochoa into the national side as a deputy to
Mexico's then-number one, Oswaldo Sánchez.
In addition to the World Cup, Ochoa has participated in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2007
Copa América.
He made his 2010 World Cup qualification debut on 28 March 2009 against Costa Rica.
Ochoa made the final 23-man cut for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but was controversially the
back-up goalkeeper to veteran Oscar Pérez.
During the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Ochoa, along with four other members of the Mexico
national team, tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol and were withdrawn from
the team's tournament squad.
All players were later acquitted by Mexican Football Federation and the results blamed
on contamination of meat, with the ingestion of clenbuterol considered non-intentional.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to request
a ban.
But on 12 October 2011, WADA withdrew this request after the full file was available
for them.
On 9 May 2014 Ochoa was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for the 2014 World Cup.
He started in Mexico's opening match against Cameroon on 13 June, which ended in a 1–0
victory for Mexico.
The match was Ochoa's debut in a World Cup, having been called up for the previous two
tournaments but failing to appear in a match.
On 17 June, in the second group stage match against hosts Brazil, Ochoa made four stunning
saves, including one following a powerful header from Neymar that immediately drew comparisons
to Gordon Banks' famed 1970 save against Pelé, helped Mexico secure a 0–0 draw, and was
named man of the match.
His performance in the match earned praise from many, including Brazilian head coach
Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Ochoa himself commented on his performance, saying: "It was the match of my life.
To do it in a World Cup, in front of all the fans, it's incredible."
Ochoa conceded one goal against in the group stage, in the 3–1 victory against Croatia
that qualified Mexico for the Round of 16.
Ochoa started in Mexico's knock-out game against The Netherlands, in which he made several
crutial saves to hold on to Mexico's 1–0 advantage, however the Dutch went on to win
2–1.
Ochoa's performance was praised, and was named man of the match for a second time.
Personal life In 2006 Ochoa dated Mexican actress, singer,
and songwriter Dulce Maria.
The pair split a year later.
After his move to France he began dating Mexican model Karla Mora.
On 8 February 2013, the couple gave birth to a girl, Lucciana, in Corsica.
Ochoa likes to play internationally with the jersey number 13, after his birthday on 13
July.
Honours Club
América Primera División: Clausura 2005
Campeón de Campeones: 2005 CONCACAF Champions Cup: 2006
InterLiga: 2008 International
Mexico CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2009, 2011
Individual CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Tournament Team: 2009
Named Best Mexican Goalkeeper 2000–2010 by the International Federation of Football
History and Statistics Club Player of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13
2014 FIFA World Cup Man of the Match: vs Brazil, vs Netherlands
References
External links Guillermo Ochoa at National-Football-Teams.com
Guillermo Ochoa – FIFA competition record