Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez made his presence felt in his return to the LA Galaxy starting 11 on Wednesday night.
Welcome back Chicharito.
After being out for two months with a calf injury, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez made his long-awaited return to the LA Galaxy lineup Wednesday night against the Houston Dynamo and quickly showed his worth, scoring an strong equalizing goal in the second half. Despite his return to the lineup and with his goal-scoring prowess, the Galaxy were still unable to come away with three points, instead having to settle for a 1-1 draw at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“It felt great to score but I would give up that goal if we could have won 2-1,” Chicharito said. ”
The draw made the Galaxy winless in its last five games, a stretch where they have gone 0-2-3. The result didn’t end up mattering as much to the Galaxy after Wednesday’s other results around the league, particularly the match between the Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers. Those two sides played to a 2-2 draw at Providence Park, so the fourth-place Galaxy did not gain ground on third-place Colorado, but also did not lose ground to fifth place Portland, who are four points back.
“We need to get as many points here as possible,” said keeper Jonathan Klinsmann, who got the start between the pipes on Wednesday. “I thought we had a really good chance today. We came out in the second half fighting and it was just a disappointing point. We did get one point, but we really wanted the three.”
Trailing 1-0 heading into the 61st minute, Chicharito willed an equalizer for the Galaxy. Jonathan Dos Santos stole a ball from Joe Corona, passed to Dejan Joveljic, who dribbled forward towards the Dynamo penalty area. Joveljic then sent a left-footed ball into the box and Chicharito leaped high and outjumped Dynamo defender Teenage Hadebe to the ball, and Chicharito’s header beat Michael Nelson near post to level matters.
“This is my first goal with my head in a very long time and I had been wanting to score with my head,” Chicharito said. “I beat one of the tallest players on the field to that ball so it’s rewarding. We got a point but it’s hard to shake the feeling that we lost two points at home.”
Houston surged ahead in the 13th minute. A goal kick by Jonathan Klinsmann was headed down by Joe Corona at the halfway line. Maxi Urruti got a touch on the ball and it went to Darwin Quintero, and he played Picault into the penalty area, Picault slotted the shot past Klinsmann into the back net.
“I felt like just the intensity in the first half was just way too low,” head coach Greg Vanney said. “It was too easy for the opposition. Too many sideways passes, back passes. Everything took too long. The intensity to win balls and recover balls. First ball, second balls. Their goal comes off of a second ball that we don’t impose ourselves in the challenge and they get to play the next ball forward through our lines and it ends up in the back of our net.”
The Galaxy will try again on Saturday to get a win, as they face Minnesota United at Allianz Field.
