The moment Memo Ochoa takes World Cup pitch, enters Mexico vs. Czechia

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MEXICO CITY — Memo Ochoa took a bit after he took his first steps on the pitch.

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The referee held up the sign for subs as Raúl Rangel's No. 1 lit up in red, while Ochoa's iconic No. 13 − the one he's worn in some of the biggest World Cup moments in Mexico's history − flashed in green.

The crowd chanted.

"Ole! Ole! Ole! Memo! Memo!"

After a week of heavy speculation and an omission from the Starting XI, Ochoa got his moment in the 78th minute against Czechia.

The 40-year-old national earned the 153rd cap of his storied career and is now playing his sixth World Cup, a record shared this summer by the game's giants in Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Despite being named to the roster, Ochoa's chances for actual playing time in this year's tournament were doubtful as Rangel earned the starting goalkeeper job. The best-case scenario was for Mexico to clinch their group by winning both their first two matches against South Africa and South Korea, making the result of the Czechia match meaningless and giving manager Javier Aguirre the freedom to tinker with the lineup before the knockout rounds.

That's exactly what ended up happening, and the speculation started immediately. Reports ranged from "confirmation" that Ochoa would start to Mexico focusing on fine-tuning their game over any tributes, while Ochoa's own teammates advocated for him.

"Who wouldn't want to see Memo Ochoa?" Alexis Vega said on Tuesday. "He's a legend. But that's a decision that El Vasco will have to make tomorrow."

Aguirre downplayed the speculation as best he could throughout the week.

"I see those 26 cabrones as one fist," he said Tuesday. "Whoever plays, they'll be ready. If Memo plays, they'll be ready and if the other one plays, Memo will be ready. I'm sure they're all supporting each other."

Ultimately though, El Vasco relented.

Now, Ochoa gets one last World Cup moment at the stadium he called home for 10 years while playing with Club America.

A sendoff fit for a legend.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Memo Ochoa takes World Cup pitch for Mexico vs Czechia

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