Javier Aguirre, coach of the Mexican national team, was full of praise for five-time World Cup goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who is competing for the starting spot for the Tricolor in the 2025 Gold Cup and for the 2026 World Cup with Luis Malagón and Raúl “Tala” Rangel, but was never guaranteed a starting spot.

Ochoa was the surprise selection on the 26-man squad for the Concacaf tournament, but so far he has not seen action in almost all of the national team's current coach's selection process and according to unofficial reports it seems difficult for him to compete with Malagón, América's goalkeeper, and Rangel, Chivas' goalkeeper.

Thus, when asked about this issue at the press conference prior to the debut, the Mexican coach stated that Ochoa is not out of step with the rest of the players on the Mexican squad, despite his 39 years of age, because from his perspective he is living his best emotional moment.

“I think Memo has been evolving, he is proudly Mexican, he has five World Cups like Rafa (Márquez) Guardado (Andrés) and “Tota” (Carbajal). I am proud to share a locker room with him, he is poised, calm, mature, everything has happened to him in his career and he is at his best.”

“Physically he is in good shape for his age and he competes, you see him train and he doesn’t back down, he gives advice to Malagón, with Tala (Rangel) he is a great contribution. When Andrés came I told him to take advantage, now I have Rafa and Ochoa, as leaders of the Mexican National Team,” said the Basque.

On his own merits

When asked about the reasons for calling up Memo Ochoa, he said it was due to his own merits and not because he had been given anything and he even added that he went to visit him in Lisbon before bringing him to the Gold Cup.

“I don’t know, because I went to see Memo in Lisbon, he saved well, his team It was hard to stay in the category. I asked him to continue maintaining an acceptable level, like the one he has had for the last 25 or 30 years. He is a mature man.who is at their level. I don't give things away, they are here on their own merits and Memo is one of them."

However, in Aguirre's presentation he never referred to the subject of the starting goalkeeper position for the Mexican national team, which is why this Saturday, June 14 at 8:15 p.m. Central Mexico Time (6:15 p.m. Pacific Time/10:15 p.m. Eastern Time) we will have to wait and see who will use of the three goalkeepers he has called up against the Dominican Republic national team in a match scheduled for Sofi Stadium.

Unofficial versions assure that Luis Malagón is expected to start against the Dominicans, but no one can rule out Memo Ochoa getting minutes at the start of the Gold Cup, although the role of the five-time World Cup winner is still being considered as a tutor for the other two young Mexican goalkeepers.