The local sports newspaper Record reported that Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa became the first Mexican goalkeeper to concede a thousand goals in his club career. The unfortunate mark came with his team’s defeat, Salernitana, against Cagliari in Italian Serie A football, in which he conceded four goals, two of them by Uzbek Eldor Shomurodov.

The match marked Ochoa’s 300th career appearance in European football, another historic milestone for a Mexican goalkeeper on the same evening. However, the avalanche of goals overshadowed the match. Ochoa, 36, has played for six clubs in five countries.

Misleading figure?

Social media didn’t hesitate to discuss the quantity, with some mentioning his role as captain of the Mexican national team. David Faitelson, a Mexican sports journalist, believes that the number of goals attributed to his compatriot should not be a reason to question his long and successful career. “The numbers are deceiving… The thousand goals conceded by Guillermo Ochoa are nothing compared to his courage and quality in playing 300 matches in Europe. Guillermo Ochoa is one of the best Mexican goalkeepers in history,” he wrote on social media.

Faitelson’s opinion sparked reactions. While some consider Memo to be a “mediocre goalkeeper” committing serious errors, others are convinced that “his bravery and skill led him to play 300 matches in Europe” and that “his legacy transcends the statistics.” It’s highlighted on social media that although conceding a thousand goals is not insignificant, 

Ochoa stood firm with his teams, which could have resulted in worse outcomes.

“To defend a team that would have conceded 5 or 6 goals per game without him. In Granada, he conceded many goals but defended more than half of the goal-scoring chances,” a user said.