Photos courtesy of the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Javier Chicharito Hernandez and the LA Galaxy are certainly hoping Sunday’s win against Miami is the start of better things to come.
A sign of things to come? The Los Angeles Galaxy are certainly hoping so.
After a dismal 2020 season for both Javier “Chicharito” and the Galaxy, both parties are hoping the 2021 season will bring forward both redemption and positive results, and Sunday’s match against Inter Miami is hopefully a first step in those directions. Chicharito scored two goals, and both goals were instrumental in helping the Galaxy rally from two one-goal deficits, and Sacha Kljestan’s 81st minute strike pushed the Galaxy over the top in head coach Greg Vanney’s Galaxy debut in a nationally televised match against Miami at DNV PRK Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale.
“The only thing that comes to my mind and that I have been feeling since I scored the first goal is that everything that I have done so far is worth it,” Chicharito said. “Even that bad year that I had helped me so much to improve. I mean, if we don’t have bad moments, where is there improvement because then we are going to think we are always right, we are always on point and that is not human nature.”
Trailing 1-0 early in the second half, the first moment finally came for Chicharito in the 61st minute. Carlos Harvey played Ethan Zubak forward, Zubak crossed into the penalty area, Chicharito took a touch that enabled him to shake free of Leandro Gonzalez’s marking and thus freed him up to take a left-footed shot just outside the six-yard box that beat John McaCarthy near post to level the match.
Inter Miami though caught a break shortly after. Robbie Robinson dribbled down the left side of the field, side-stepped Oniel Fisher to cut inside, then played a ball to Rodolfo Pizzaro, who not only nutmegged Jorge Villafana, but also drew the foul on Villafana inside the penatly area and referee Chris Penso awarded Miami the penalty, which Gonzalo Higuain converted in the 68th minute to put Miami back in front.
The Galaxy and Chicharito in particular got their second chance. Victor Vasquez sent a right-footed cross into the penalty area, Zubak got a header on the ball, McCarthy initially parried the ball away, but his stumble backwards saw him spill the ball back into play and Chicharito capitalized on the opportunity, sliding inside the six to bury the open netter near post for a second equalizing goal. The Galaxy won the match in the 81st minute, as Fisher crossed into the six, Blaise Matuidi briefly deflected the ball, though it went to Sebastian Lletget, who tocuhed it to Kljestan, who fired a ball that hit off the left post, but crossed the goal line.
“The whole lead up to this game just felt lighter and fun and exciting more than last year,” Kljestan said on the difference between this year and last year. “The feeling in the group right now, the way we are with each other, the way we enjoy being around each other, the camaraderie of the group, the brotherhood all that has been really at a high level and been really fun so going into the game we felt really good. Obviously when you go down things get difficult I think we can all be proud of the effort that everyone put in today.”
Sunday’s opening-season win is certainly a welcome sight for the Galaxy faithful. After struggling to its worst record in more than a decade, and watching Chicharito struggle to the tune of just two goal in all competitions last season, the Galaxy and Chicharito, who was just recently voted MLS’ player of the week, displayed the resilience on the pitch so rarely seen last year. With new coach Vanney as well the additions of Vasquez and Villafana to the roster, the Galaxy are expecting 2021 to be the year the Galaxy reassert themselves as an elite franchise in MLS, or at least close to that level.
‘In a nutshell I told them to remember this feeling, and everything that they laid on the field today to get to it,” Vanney said. “If they want to be great or if all of us want to be great as a team and as players then we have to be courageous and we have to go for it and we have to lay it all out from minute one to the last minute of the game and more of these types of things will happen for us.”
The Galaxy will surely look to build on this win next Sunday, as they stage their home opener against the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Spots Park.
