{"id":2552,"date":"2026-06-19T20:38:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T20:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2552"},"modified":"2026-06-19T20:38:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T20:38:28","slug":"mexico-goalkeeper-raul-rangel-seizes-the-world-cup-spotlight-with-two-shutouts-in-two-matches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=2552","title":{"rendered":"Mexico goalkeeper Ra\u00fal Rangel seizes the World Cup spotlight with two shutouts in two matches"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By CARLOS RODR\u00cdGUEZ<\/strong><\/p>\n

MEXICO CITY (AP) \u2014 One of the biggest questions surrounding the Mexican national team ahead of the World Cup was who would start in net.<\/p>\n

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Would it be the inexperienced Ra\u00fal Rangel, who hadn\u2019t played a single official match for El Tri? Or the great Guillermo Ochoa, the team\u2019s anchor since 2014?<\/p>\n

Coach Javier Aguirre bet on youth, and it turned out to be a wise decision.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old Rangel made a spectacular 87th-minute save against South Korea to help the co-hosts secure a dramatic 1-0 victory and become the first team to reach the knockout stage of this year\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n

With two shutouts already under his belt, Rangel has matched the feat of the iconic Jorge Campos. In Mexico\u2019s next match against the Czech Republic, he will try to emulate Ignacio Calder\u00f3n, the only Mexico goalkeeper to record three clean sheets in a single World Cup \u2014 achieved at home in 1970.<\/p>\n

\u201cRa\u00fal has shown great determination since we first called him up. He was Luis \u00c1ngel Malag\u00f3n\u2019s backup, but he persevered and just kept improving,\u201d Aguirre said. \u201cHe played well with his club, Chivas, and improved day by day. Few players debut with such ease; usually, they have to learn by making mistakes. He seemed a bit nervous in the first match, but he did well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rangel\u2019s rise to World Cup stardom was very unexpected. He was playing in the second division with Tapat\u00edo only three years ago, he became a starter with Chivas just a year ago, and Malag\u00f3n was the favorite to start for Mexico after leading the team to CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup titles, but a ruptured left Achilles tendon in March ruled him out.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Even then, doubts lingered over whether Aguirre would trust Rangel on the world stage or default to the veteran experience of Ochoa. At 40 years old, Ochoa is attending his sixth World Cup, having started in 2014 in Brazil, four years later in Russia, and then at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.<\/p>\n

History almost repeated itself for Ochoa. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ochoa was poised to be the starter, but Aguirre \u2014 also the coach back then \u2014 belatedly benched him in favor of veteran \u00d3scar P\u00e9rez. This time, Aguirre went with youth.<\/p>\n

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Despite being relegated to the bench, Ochoa has embraced the role of teacher.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to thank \u2018Memo,\u2019 who has been a true mentor to me. I say it openly, he has helped me a lot,\u201d Rangel said. \u201cHe has instilled in me the serenity he brings every day, despite all the World Cups he has played in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

After the match against South Korea, Ochoa waited for Rangel to greet him and hugged him before making his way to the locker room.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving Guillermo Ochoa behind me raises the level and intensity in all aspects, and that helps me mature. Knowing that I have a figure like him behind me, or beside me, supporting me, competing for the position, gives me a lot of confidence,\u201d Rangel said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFeeling like favorites would lead to complacency, and the team isn\u2019t ready for that,\u201d Rangel said about starting with two wins. \u201cThe team needs to focus on one game at a time, knowing that we\u2019re going to face tough opponents and avoiding overconfidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

By keeping two clean sheets in his first two matches, Rangel equaled Ochoa\u2019s own debut run from 2014. Ochoa would go on to collect additional shutouts in 2018 and 2022, holding the Mexican record for the most total clean sheets in the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Campos, famous for his colorful uniforms and acrobatic style, recorded two shutouts over the 1994 and 1998 tournaments.<\/p>\n

If Rangel manages to shutout the Czech Republic, he will equal Calder\u00f3n\u2019s Mexican mark \u2014 though he will still be chasing the ultimate milestone. Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga holds the all-time World Cup record, keeping five consecutive clean sheets during the 1990 tournament.<\/p>\n

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___<\/p>\n

AP World Cup: https:\/\/apnews.com\/fifa-world-cup<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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