India, June 19 -- In the heat of Mexico's crucial World Cup clash against South Korea, a moment of pure magic signalled a definitive changing of the guard.

Raul Rangel, playing on the very pitch he calls home, pulled off a stunning double save that not only secured a vital victory for El Tri but unequivocally cemented his status as the nation's new number one goalkeeper. The 26-year-old stopped a close-range header from Cho Gue-sung, but collided with a teammate going to the ground. As the ball ricocheted upward, Rangel scrambled amidst the chaos and instinctively extended an arm to miraculously block Yang Hyun-jun's strike on the rebound.

"It was very quick, it was pure reaction," Rangel said after the match. "I couldn't really tell yo...