Mexico Goalkeeper shines as Mexico hold Brazil to 0-0 draw
Fortaleza (Brazil): Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa produced at least two stunning saves in a heroic display to deny a dominant Brazil a win in a high-voltage World Cup clash on Tuesday. The 28-year-old Ochoa, who plays in France for AC Ajaccio, first thwarted Neymar’s 26th minute header with a spectacular dive to his right and then again blocked Thiago Silva’s headed attempt in the 87th minute to the huge groan of the sea of yellow-clad Selecao fans.
After Tuesday’s draw, the second scoreless draw of this World Cup after Iran vs Nigeria yesterday, Brazil and Mexico occupy to top spot in Group A on four points each. The group, which also has Croatia and Cameroon as other teams, is now wide open.
Brazil dominated the first half with more possession and applied pressure mostly from the left through Marcelo, Oscar and Neymar trying to break dowm the Mexico defence.
Neymar was denied a goal in the 26th minute as his header off a Dani Alves cross was palmed away by Ochoa diving to his right in one of the most fabulous saves in the World Cup so far.
Ochoa again denied Brazil another goal in the 43rd minute with another brilliant save. A Neymar freekick was chested down by Thiago Silva and there were three Brazilian players unmarked inside the box. Paulinho tried to lift the ball over Ochoa, but the keeper magnificently kept it out.
Brazil coach Filipe Scolari substituted largely ineffective Ramires at the right attacking side by Bernard in the second half but kept an out-of-sorts striker Fred to continue till the 67th minute before being replaced by Jo.
The first 15 minutes of second half saw Mexico attacking with some fine moves and Brazil losing momentum. Mexico had three fine long range efforts aiming to test Caesar but all of them flew above the bar.
The momentum then shifted to Brazil and the yellow clad home supporters had a huge groan after Neymar’s stinging left footer was again blocked by goalie Ochoa, the third spectacular save of the match.
A Jo strike from acute angle off a Marcelo pass in the 75th minute went wide as Brazil pressed frenetically for a goal.
Ochoa was at it again when he somehow was at the right position to block a Thiago Silva header off a Neymar free kick. Brazil coach pleased with team despite draw
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was pleased with the team’s performance although the Selecao failed to score in front of a well-organised Mexican team.
“In my opinion the team was at least better than what we played against Croatia. So the team is getting better and better,” the 65-year-old coach said after his team was held to a scoreless draw by Mexico in their second World Cup Group A match on Tuesday.
“We are improving and we still have a way to go and we can play good quality football. Although we did not reach the result we expected, I was really happy with what I saw on the pitch,” Scolari said.
“We have three or four very good opportunities today but they had a very good keeper,” Scolari added, referring to Mexico’s 28-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa who produced a series of impressive saves in the match, including two promising opportunities from Brazil’s star striker Neymar.
However, Scolari did not think the 22-year-old Barcerona player should be blamed and he also denied the claim that the whole team was relying too much on Neymar.
“Well, Neymar cannot win or lose on his own. He is part of the group and in the group he has the potential which is higher sometimes than the others,” Scolari said.
“He can win or lose with the group. We will keep on working so that with or without Neymar we will be able to win,” he said.
The 27-year-old Zenit St. Petersburg striker Hulk was on the bench on Tuesday and Scolari revealed it was Hulk himself who decided to rest in order to avoid any injury risk.
“He could have played and he decided to stay on the bench,” Scolari said.
“So we decided to start with Ramires. We will be working with Hulk this week if he feels better, and if he believes the pain he is feeling is normal for any player, because exam showed he is OK. He can be in the pitch against Cameroon,” he said.
Mexico fans celebrate 0-0 draw with Brazil
Mexico football fans have celebrated their 0-0 tie with Brazil at the 2014 Brazil World Cup on Tuesday.
The outcome of the game, played at the Castelao Stadium in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, may not help Mexico advance to the second round of the tournament, but it won’t hurt either.
Mexico still have to play Croatia on Monday to see if they can qualify for the next round. “It was fabulous, Mexico deserved to win,” a grocery store manager in Mexico City said.
TV set in the middle of the shop so that the staff at the store and their clients could watch the game.
A clerk in the store described the match as charged with excitement. “It was a very interesting game, in which the Mexicans played on a par with the Brazilians,” a woman, Matilde, said.
“Thanks to the goalkeeper (Guillermo Ochoa), Mexico fended off several goals. I felt really nervous whenever Brazil neared Mexico’s goalpost and really excited whenever the Mexicans neared Brazil’s,” taxi driver Ernesto said.
“Mexico played an excellent game. I actually believed the national team was going to lose. This tie is in reality a victory, because Brazil continues to be one of the favorites to win this championship,” said Federico, a security guard at a private company.
Sports commentators on major TV stations and news media also praised the team’s goalkeeper, saying Ochoa’s performance “was sensational” and dubbing him “Saint Ochoa.
“Thousands of fans gathered at Mexico City’s main plaza to watch the game on a giant screen broke out in celebration.
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