Memo Ochoa, the great Mexican goalkeeper, will be 37 years old when the World Cup in Qatar will take place.
No one doubts that Ochoa is a good goalkeeper, and it is reasonable to think that he will achieve his 5th world cup tournament in 2022. But even Ochoa's era with the Mexican national team is due to end. Although he wasn't called yet to the national team, one of the leading candidates to replace him is Santos Laguna's captain, Carlos Acevedo.
Acevedo, born and raised in Torreon, Coahuila, has played for the children's team of Santos laguna. At the age of 15, he decided to leave the club only to return in 2013 and play for the U17 team. The club released him shortly afterwards but then called him to return after the youth team bus suffered an accident, and the team needed a goalie. Acevedo joined the team again and never left it anymore.
He finally fulfilled his dream to play for his beloved club, while Santos laguna gained not only a good goalkeeper but a valid symbol for the club's entity. When he was 24, in his first season as a first-choice goalkeeper, Acevedo was named as the team captain.
Acevedo was the second goalkeeper for Jonathan Orozco in the last four years. Orozco, one of the national team goalkeepers, was an essential figure at the club and was the first choice GK, while the young Acevedo played here and there. As Acevedo declare himself, it was the best formula both for the team and for his career. Last summer, Acevedo time arrived. Orozco moved to play in Tijuana, and it was decided: Carlos Acevedo will be the first team goalkeeper. With Acevedo as a goalkeeper in his debut season, Santos laguna almost won the league, falling only in the league playoffs final against Cruz Azul.
Acevedo finished the season with 11 clean sheets and was voted by the fans as the club's player of the season. But Acevedo is not just a good goalkeeper. He is a symbol of what Santos Laguna want as an institution.
The average goalkeeper in the Liga MX Mexican is either a foreigner with some international experience or a veteran Mexican with vast experience in the league. Last season only three teams played a good percentage of their games with a local goalkeeper under 25 years old: Raul Gudiño in Chivas Guadalajara, Luis Malagon in Necaxa and Carlos Acevedo in Santos Laguna. While Gudiño grew up in Chivas, he spent some time in Europe before returning to Chivas. Acevedo is a "product" of the Santos Laguna team management. Here is the point where we need to give some background about the club.
Santos Laguna has one of the best youth academies in Mexico and is always striving to produce players to the first team. It is part of the philosophy of the club and the owners Grupo Orlegi.
In addition to the sports division (owners also of Atlas Guadalajara), Grupo Orlegi also have a real estate division and an agriculture division. Grupo Orlegi is growing peppers and other vegetables in the desert against all the odds while building the Santos laguna stadium, the "territorio Santos modelo" complex with the stadium and high-level academy infrastructure and commercial place with plans for a hotel. A top-quality complex that even many European clubs would like to have.
As mentioned before, Acevedo and Santos Laguna are a mutual love story. Recently, the goalkeeper renewed his contract with the club up to 2025, after a very successful first season as the first-choice team goalkeeper. Yet, it wouldn't come as a surprise if he would move to Europe before.
In an interview with Carlos Acevedo and the club's president, Dante Elizalde, the two have told BabaGol about this "love affair" and the meaning of being part of Santos Laguna.
Carlos Acevedo
Carlos, what is the feeling to be at 24 years of age the team captain?
Putting on the captain's armband gives me a positive sense. There are conflicting emotions, but without a doubt, I am very proud to wear it. Very happy.
This leads me to the next obvious question: As a person born in Torreon and played his entire career until now with Santos Laguna, does Carlos Acevedo see himself as a club symbol?
I am working hard to be one. I want to be a symbol for the fans, a character for the youth players who work hard and fight for their dream of becoming first division players. So, I'm working very hard and with a lot of respect to become this character.
You became the first-team choice only last year or so, replacing a great goalkeeper in the image of Jonathan Orozco. How does it feel, and did you have a "crisis" point with not playing for a long time?
I won't lie, I had some challenging moments, but the most important thing is getting through them, working hard, and not thinking about them. Jona is a great keeper. I learned a lot from him, and the only way to get out of the crises or little bits of emotion that can affect your performance is, without a doubt, work and help from the family.
Any plans to move to Europe? If so, which league will be ideal for you?
Time will tell. For now, I am concentrating on Santos. The European dream is there in my goals and objectives, but it is about working hard and performing well every weekend to achieve it.
Do you think that you have a place now in the national team? Many fans are comparing you to Memo Ochoa, and not only because of the long hair. Do you see yourself as a future replacement for him in El Tri?
(Laughing) It is nice that somebody could compare me [to Ochoa], but my hair is different. I have long hair because I am a fan of 80s music and rock music as well. I was not copying him!
The national team is always in my mind, and of course, is it a target of mine. I do not know if I deserve it, I work hard to try to earn it, and I'll continue to do so. Hopefully, Tata Martino will consider me as part of his plans.
You had to deal with many struggles until you arrived at where you are today. What is Carlos Acevedo's biggest motivation?
My family. Without a doubt. Also, my dreams and the goals I set each year or season.
Many Mexican teams have foreign goalkeepers. Usually not young ones as well. Currently, only Chivas, Santos Laguna and Necaxa play with an under 25 years old goalie. Does Mexico have a production issue when it comes to this position?
It is the opposite. Mexico has many potential goalkeepers. You can look back at history, and there are great Mexican keepers. It is about giving them the opportunity, but there is talent in Mexico. Mexico has had great keepers and will always have them.
Inseparable part of Santos Laguna’s way. Dante Elizalde (left), with Acevedo, after the goalie has extended his contract with the club. (Photo: Santos Laguna)
Dante Elizalde
Acevedo is only part of the story. So, we asked the other side in this relationship for his opinion: Dante Elizalde, the president of Santos Laguna.
Dante, Thank you very much for dedicating time to us. Does Santos Laguna see Carlos Acevedo as a role model for their youngsters? What does his presence imply for the institution (apart from his apparent good performance on the pitch)?
Carlos is an excellent example of the work that has been carried out in this institution since Alejandro Irarragorri took over the reins of the clubs. He is a player who has been brought up with the principles and values of Club Santos and achieved his first objective of reaching the first division by overcoming significant difficulties and adversities. Carlos is a true reflection of the character that can be seen in La Comarca Laguna region. It gives us a lot of pride that a player who has worked as he has and has total dedication to these colours is defending the Santos goal today.
Santos Laguna is a club that sells players to Europe. If a proposal will arrive in the summer, would they agree to sell him?
Santos is always open to hearing opportunities for our players to grow, as long as the right conditions are in place for both the player and the institution. We desire that the talent produced at the club can reach the highest level, and we always prioritise our players' dreams. Proof of that is what happened with Gerardo Arteaga last summer. He asked us for the opportunity to be transferred to Genk in Belgium, even though we ended up having to sacrifice financially to fulfil his dream.
Santos Laguna has one of the best football academies in Mexico. If Acevedo is leaving for Europe, does Santos already have the "next Carlos Acevedo"?
Santos is an institution with a prolific production of players with potential in different positions. Undoubtedly, we have goalkeepers who have fulfilled an excellent process in Santos and at the youth national team level. With the support of the coaches and support staff, they will consolidate themselves soon as part of the first team.
Your response leads me to the following question: Does Santos Laguna want to be "la base de la selección" (the basis of the national team in Spanish)?
Today we say with great pride that Santos has had and is present in all categories of Mexico's men's national teams, thanks to the youth development process that began more than a decade ago and that today is bearing fruits. At this moment, I can highlight that in the preliminary (men's) Olympic qualifying list, we had four Santistas, and in the Under-20s, we have had up to five players in recent call-ups. As for the senior national team, Santos Laguna trained several players who are Mexican internationals.
Santos Laguna is part of Grupo Orlegi, who also owns Atlas Guadalajara and Tampico Madero. Does Santos Laguna have plans to cooperate with other clubs outside of Mexico (Maybe in Europe) to foment more Mexican talent?
At the institution, we firmly believe in the growth and development of our players, for which competition is extremely important. In that sense, we have generated alliances with different clubs worldwide to share best practices and strengthen each other. We intend to continue growing this network for the benefit of our sports and administrative areas.
Santos Laguna is a model of "creating an oasis out of nothing in the middle of the Desert". What can the fans expect from Santos Laguna in the near future?
A team that is a protagonist. Since the beginning of Alejandro Irarragorri's management, Santos Laguna has been an organisation that is based on processes, structure and generating infrastructure. It's a business model that has been successful, allowing us to give fans success. We all have an obligation and mandate in the organisation to enable the project to continue and envisage Santos in the medium and long term with financial strength, sustainability, and sporting success.
As we see in both commentaries from Carlos Acevedo and Dante Elizalde's responses, Acevedo is also a sign of hope for the future generations of the children of Torreon. Like a fresh vegetable cultivated in a harsh environment or a top-level complex in the middle of the desert, Acevedo is a living example of a local guy that has managed to become a hero for his beloved team despite all the challenges and city.
