Amid a historic win for Mexico, 'the night of Memo Ochoa' stands above all

· Yahoo Sports

MEXICO CITY — When Memo Ochoa took his spot standing in goal at Estadio Azteca on Wednesday night, he couldn't help but think back.

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This was the same stadium he debuted in 2004 at the age of 18 with Club America. But even further than that, Ochoa thought back to his days as a kid in the stands, dreaming of one day seeing the pitch at El Coloso de Santa Úrsula.

It was those same goalposts that Ochoa kissed, the same grass that he now knelt on as a 40-year-old, face buried in his palm in prayer – and perhaps also overcome with emotion – after the final whistle blew on June 24 in Mexico's 3-0 win over Czechia.

"It's the stadium that watched my birth," he said. "The stadium that I grew up in. ... I debuted on this goal. I'm just grateful to them."

It was a historic night on several fronts for El Tri. They swept their group and began the World Cup with nine points for the first time in the country's 18 appearances. They also shut out their entire group slate – not a single goal was conceded to South Africa, South Korea or Czechia – for the first time since 1970. But by far the biggest takeaway?

"The night of Memo Ochoa," manager Javier Aguirre, visibly emotional, said post-match. "He deserves all the affection they gave him. He deserves it."

This night – this historic, storybook night in Coyoacán that was capped off by Ochoa being thrown in the air by his teammates – had been building for much longer.

"It wasn't just tonight," Ochoa said. "It's been a whole month of a lot of feelings, experiences. A lot of nostalgia."

Ever since he arrived for training camp at el Centro de Alto Rendimiento, it's been a series of lasts for Ochoa. His last camp. His last training sessions. His last nights eating dinner with the team. His professional career began 23 years ago, but Ochoa began playing soccer at the age of 10. Ever since then, he's trained every day.

Ochoa was not in the Starting XI for El Tri on Wednesday despite heavy speculation. Aguirre downplayed it whenever he was asked about the possibility of giving his legend a proper sendoff.

None of the players were told anything by the coaching staff or given any indication of who might play. But in the second half, when the goals started falling and turned into a 1-0 Mexico lead and then a 2-0 lead, they began nudging the national icon.

"Memo, you're gonna go in!"

"It's your turn!"

"Go warm up!"

The announced 80,824 in attendance began to stir when they noticed Ochoa, the hero who many came to see, got off the bench to get loose.

Then, when Ochoa entered the game in the 78th minute for Raúl Rangel, they lost their collective minds erupting into a cheer so loud it rivaled – and probably even surpassed – the pregame national anthem. Several different chants of his name broke out throughout the final 12-plus minutes of the match, ranging from "O-cho-a!" to "Olé, Olé, Olé! Me-mo! Me-mo!"

"Life sometimes has surprises for you," Ochoa said. "Today wasn't planned, the coaching staff didn't tell us anything before. I'll say it again, life and football aligned to present me with this scenario, so that I could have this goodbye.

"It's like a golden brooch that I'll wear on my heart forever."

And it was a farewell in every sense of the word. Ochoa confirmed his retirement at the conclusion of the World Cup.

"Without a doubt. This was the perfect closing," he said. "If you would've asked me to write a script a couple years ago, or if I would've planned it all, I don't think it would've turned out like it did tonight. It was marvelous, it was perfect, it was with La Selección, it was in a World Cup in my country and winning. So, I'm happy with that."

Regardless of what happens in the round of 32 and onward, one of the lasting images of Mexico in this World Cup will be Ochoa taking a moment after the final whistle to walk over to each goalpost and kiss it, wave to the fans and fall to one knee until his teammates literally picked him back up.

"It was a good homage to him," Aguirre said. "Six World Cups, he's a legend. He's Mexican. What else can we ask for? I think the fans are going home happy tonight."

It was a sendoff truly fit for a national icon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Memo Ochoa's World Cup sendoff with Mexico was 'perfect closing'

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