LA Galaxy return to winning ways in MLS 2023 but Chicharito drought continues

Matchday 12 of the 2023 MLS season ended on Sunday with a match between LA Galaxy and San José Earthquakes. The Los Angeles team managed to secure a much-needed victory after a poor start to the North American league season. Unfortunately, Mexican striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández failed to score once again, making it none in three consecutive matches.

Galaxy move off Western bottom

The match against the Earthquakes was a high-risk encounter for Greg Vanney’s team, with rumours growing of the coach’s forced departure. However, the Los Angeles franchise managed to pick up three valuable points, moving them off the bottom of the Western Conference.

Earlier in the week, they eliminated the Seattle Sounders (3-1) from the US Open Cup, and will now face Carlos Vela’s LAFC in the upcoming tournament. The victory over the fifth-placed team in their conference was another positive turn for the LA Galaxy.

LA Galaxy vs SJ Earthquakes

It took an hour for the hosts to take the lead, when Memo Rodríguez sent a cross from the left wing and the Uruguayan Martín Cáceres directed the ball in from the corner of the six-yard box, Riqui Puig making sure the defense couldn’t prevent it.

As we entered added-on time after the 90, Dejan Joveljic made sure of the result, although a late, late consolation goal from Ousseni Bouda left the scoreboard reading 2-1.

Where’s our Chicharito?

According to our friends over at SofaScore, Javier Hernández had a rating of 5.5, making him the lowest rated player in the LA Galaxy team and the lowest in the game overall. His game in statistics delivered four shots off target, one shot blocked, and three great opportunities wasted. The Mexican had 21/24 passes completed (88%), two key passes, 4/11 duels won and he was booked before being replaced by Joveljic on 90′, who needed just a couple of minutes to score.