Mexico.- This Thursday the first leg of the semifinals took place between Club AmericaOh Pachuca which ended 1-1 after goals from Diego Valdez and Nicolás Ibáñez, the latter being the one who has given the most talk after the game since behind him are hidden some statistics that American fans do not like at all and that it has to do with his goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa.
After Nico Ibáñez’s goal, it was announced that Memo Ochoa has 28 consecutive penalties without saving which speaks of a negative streak for the goalkeeper that could cost the team at some point in the tie if more penalties are presented or in a hypothetical shootout if they reach the final. According to Ricardo Salazar of TUDN, Ochoa is the second goalkeeper in Liga MX with the most penalties without saving consecutively.
Guillermo Ochoa reaches 28 consecutive penalties without stopping in Liga MX. Second place in history”, as he shared it on his social networks. What this data indicates is that Ochoa has not saved a penalty in Mexican soccer for more than 10 years (not counting penalty shootouts), since his return to Liga MX only happened in 2019, so since before his departure from Club América in 2011, he has not been able to stop a ball from the penalty spot.
Even so, the last time the Mexican goalkeeper was present in a penalty shootout in Liga MX was in the final of the Apertura 2019 where he saved one, although it was not enough to win, it was the last time he could show off his ability. Also in the Concachampions he also showed some of his skills by stopping some more being one of the most recent.
This streak has more than one worried and that is when Ochoa plays for the Mexican team his effectiveness in topics from the 11 steps usually rises, it is only enough to remember the last editions of the 2019 Gold Cup and the Nations League where he became the hero by saving some key penalties to reach the final and in another even to win title.
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Even so, in the Clausura 2022 season he has been one of the goalkeepers with the fewest goals, only receiving 17 goals and having linked up to 3 or more games without conceding a goal. Now the semifinal round is very open for the second leg that will be played this Sunday at the Hidalgo field to meet the second finalist of the tournament and where the goalkeeper is expected to become one of the relevant players in the match.
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