MIAMI, Florida – One of the best matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup was the Round of 16 clash between Mexico and the Netherlands in which two late goals earned the Dutch a 2-1 victory over El Tricolor.

On Sunday, as part of their #WorldCupAtHome series, FIFA will be airing a rebroadcast of that match on their YouTube channel at 1:00 PM ET: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Lt_hJdvNY

One of the stars of the day for the Mexican team was GK Guillermo Ochoa, who made a number of top-notch saves, but was unable to prevent the Netherlands’ late charge, leaving Mexico with a sixth straight Round of 16 finish in a World Cup.

“It was a bittersweet feeling of contrasts because I believe we played a great game, a match in which we deserved a lot more,” said Ochoa in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.

“There were a couple unfortunate plays which first led to the equalizer, a header that is played down to outside the area leading to a good shot. It’s rare to see a corner kick played like that. Then later the penalty that caused a lot of controversy, but overall, I felt sad because we were minutes away from achieving something historic for Mexico and without a doubt, I think we deserved it,” added Ochoa.

Despite the disappointment of that defeat, Ochoa feels like it helped El Tricolor learn some important lessons moving forward.

“There are always lessons, you have to approach it like that whether you win or lose. We have to learn about how to manage games, knowing how to manage time, knowing how to finish off games. We could have made it 2-0 and controlled the match until the end, so that is something that has to be learned and since that day it has helped me with having calm in matches,” said Ochoa.

Nevertheless, it was a World Cup to remember for Ochoa on a personal level. The current Club America man delivered arguably the best goalkeeping performance of the tournament in Mexico’s 0-0 draw with host nation Brazil. The sensation of that match is something Ochoa feels to this day. 

“I think with the Brazil game there was a before and after. Everyone knows what happened that day. Playing in goal against a team like Brazil in a World Cup, against the host nation in a stadium full of yellow is not easy. Mexico always has a lot of fans in a World Cup, but on that day, you could hardly see them. It was a 0-0 match in which I had a very good performance. Things went well for me and we got a point against one of the contenders to win the World Cup and that permitted us to reach the next stage,” said Ochoa.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was Ochoa’s third, and since then he has gone on to represent Mexico in a total of four World Cups. For the 34-year-old, there is nothing better than wearing the Mexico shirt in the world’s biggest tournament.

“Representing Mexico in a World Cup is always the greatest thing. It is special, it’s a dream. Mexico has always been a footballing country with a lot of passion and intensity in experiencing football and most of all in World Cups. As a player, I always had the dream of playing in a World Cup and I have the fortune of being in four World Cups, and with the dream of being in a fifth World Cup. Hopefully that happens. I am eager to try to do it again and fight to take that next step with the national team,” said Ochoa.

There will be a day when Ochoa’s time with the Mexican National Team will come to a close, with a new generation of Mexican goalkeepers inspired to carry on Ochoa’s legacy. The veteran stopper shares some words of wisdom to those young goalkeepers who want to become the next great Mexico No.1.

“To the young kids who want to become professional goalkeepers, I would say that it is a very special and distinct profession, which requires determination, dedication and patience, but above all, mental strength. You have to work but like anything, also enjoy it and most importantly be happy for being there,” concluded Ochoa.