Photos courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez has LA Galaxy fans singing his praises early in the season.
If nobody took notice after last week in South Florida, people will certainly be taking a look now.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez again served notice to all of MLS on Sunday; he’s back to being the constant threat to score goals, which is exactly what the Los Angeles Galaxy envisioned when they signed him prior to the previous season to a three-year contract that pays him over seven million a year, the highest paid player in MLS. Chicharito followed up his brace against Inter Miami with a hat trick against the New York Red Bulls, and the Galaxy, playing in front of fans since its season opener last year, held off the Red Bulls 3-2 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“As a striker it’s like a chemistry,” Chicharito said. “You want to put yourself in the correct positions and of course sometimes the ball needs to come and thankfully that is happening because of all the great work we are doing in this team.”
Chicharito got things going in the ninth minute. Jorge Villafana pressured Floriant Valot into a turnover, Ethan Zubak took the ball and broke for goal, with Chicharito joining him from his right side. Zubak dribbled into the penalty area, took a shot that deflected off NYRB defender Sean Nealis and looked like it would miss the back post, Chicharito however sprinted inside the six, slid, got to the ball just before it got to the endline and his sliding shot went in at his back post.
“I just reacted and I said that it’s mine, it’s mine I can score,” Hernandez said of the goal. “It was a very tight angle obviously so I just focused on where the goal was and the direction of the ball and thankfully I put the ball into the net.”
Andrew Gutnam tied the match in the 26th minute, but Chicharito wrestled the lead back for the Galaxy in the 41st minute, though he and the Galaxy had to wait a little while to celebrate. Victor Vazquez sprung Chicharito into the penalty area, Chicharito took a touch before gathering himself and shooting a ball between Coronel’s legs into the back net. The goal was actually disallowed, as Chicharito was initially ruled offside, but Video Review was initiated, and it showed that Chicharito was onside when Vazquez sent the pass, thus the call on the field was reversed.
Chicharito got the hat trick in the 61st minute. Julian Araujo cut off a NYRB pass, Samuel Grandsir took the ball and dribbled forward, played a pass for an overlapping Araujo, who then crossed into the six-yard box. Vazquez tried to get on the ball, he missed, but the ball stayed inside, deflected off Aaron Long in the air and Chicharito leaped his quasi-scissors kick got him his third goal of the match near post. The Red Bulls did get a goal back in the 63rd minute courtesy of Christian Casseres, and Chicharito was subbed out in the 78th minute as he was cramping up, but ultimately, the Galaxy were able to hold on for the win, which saw them start the season with back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2010 season.
“We executed better than they did when it came to what matters, which is having more goals than them, and we executed better in terms of protecting our ultimate lead, which was 3 to 1 down the stretch,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said. “I would have liked to have finished 3-1, but everyone did what they had to do.”
Chichiarito and the Galaxy will look to build on this hot start, but will have their work cut out for them next Saturday, as they travel to the Pacific Northwest for a matchup with the Seattle Sounders.
