World Cup in Qatar 2022: Ochoa frustrated Lewandowski and draw between Mexico and Poland was a nod to Argentina

Winner of FIFA’s The Best award in 2020 and 2021, seven times Bundesliga top scorer with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, scorer of 18 goals in his first 19 meetings for Barcelona. Robert Lewandowski He made goals the tool to build his success. However, the scream remains elusive in a World Cup. He had already left Russia 2018 dry. And this Tuesday, at his debut in Qatar, he couldn’t do it either. Not even from the disk. The stainless steel left it to be desired Guillermo Ochoawho started his fifth World Cup as the deciding man in the opaque tie from 0 to 0 Enter Mexico Y Polanda result that Argentina ended up looking favorably after its loss to Saudi Arabia.

I hadn’t succeeded Senegal, Colombia and Japan four years ago, in a disappointing individual and collective effort. He couldn’t even against Mexico. And the frustration wasn’t just for the missed penalty. Lewandowski, captain, appearances record (135) and all-time top scorer for his side (76), conceded 90 minutes surrounded by three rival defenders and separated by a crossbar from his closest partner, the irrelevant Zielinski. Therefore, he could hardly test the adidas Al Rihla texture with his feet.

The only chance he had, which was also the only one for his team in 90 minutes, was self-generated at the start of the second half: with power and skill he slipped into the Mexican’s area and Héctor Moreno interrupted his trajectory the best he could. After a long discussion by the VAR managers and the review by the Australian Chris Beath on the screen located at the end of the pitch, the referee inflicted the penalty which the centre-forward took charge of. Then Ochoa came into action, who hadn’t had to dirty his neat blue uniform in the first half: he flew into the left post and deflected the shot.

Lewandowski’s executioner and Mexican savior was a man who this Tuesday, as Lionel Messi had done shortly before, joined the small group of footballers who have played in five World Cups (in the next few days his compatriot Andrés Guardado could also join – he was a substitute and did not enter- and Cristiano Ronaldo). But also one of the players who had been in the eye of the storm in the weeks leading up to the start of the tournament. In the extensive list of claims to which the press had exposed Gerard Martino there was a request for the 37-year veteran goalkeeper to be excluded.

With his escape, Ochoa silenced his detractors. With their play, the Mexican team certainly didn’t achieve as much, even if they left a better impression than the cautious and forceful Polish team. The North Americans are more and more ambitious, they manage the ball more and better, and they focus on the outside breakthrough with the restless Lozano and with the continuous projections of Gallardo. But it was difficult for them to turn those intentions into reality. The few times he has endangered the opposing area, he has found good answers from goalkeeper Szczesny. This was influenced by the absence of Raúl Jiménezwho returns to the field after two and a half months of inactivity: Martino has just sent him on the field with 24 minutes to go.

The 0-0 defeat at Estadio 974 coupled with Argentina’s earlier defeat left Group C facing an unpredictable fate and Mexico had better taste than Poland. He will have to ratify it against Lionel Scaloni’s side on Saturday if he is to fulfill his dream of playing five games in a World Cup, a goal he has failed to achieve in his last seven appearances (in all of them he capitulated in the group of 16). To do this, you will need more than just the hands of memorandum Ochoa.