When was the last time ‘Chicharito’ Hernández played against Chivas?
The 34-year-old striker will play against his boyhood club on Wednesday night in the first-ever soccer match at SoFi Stadium to showcase the Leagues Cup.
The Leagues Cup is set to return next summer but on Wednesday night there will be a doubleheader to showcase the tournament, with Chivas taking on the LA Galaxy and LAFC facing Club América. This will be the first time in 15 years that the most decorated team in MLS will play against the Liga MX side.
Chicharito to play against his boyhood club
This will also be a special game for Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, because he made his professional debut with Chivas at age 18 in 2006. The LA Galaxy captain won two league titles and in 2010 made the switch to Europe to sign with Manchester United, becoming the Red Devils’ first Mexican player.
“It is very special to play against my hometown team. It has been so long since I played against them so it is going to be great. There are a lot of people that are still working in Chivas [since he left] and it will be nice to be together again and say hi. It is not a joke when I say it is the best team in Mexico and it is the only team with the most championships with Mexican players,” said Chicharito.
“People don’t like to give Chivas the credit they deserve and they think that they are dumb for only signing Mexican-born players. But it is something that we should praise because they stick to that tradition and they have the obligation to fight for titles every six months. If they don’t use the players from the youth academy, they have to go buy them from other teams. They cost a fortune, so it is not easy for Chivas and what they have done throughout time it is amazing.”
Chicharito last faced Chivas during summer 2010, when United did their pre-season tour in the United States and played a friendly against the Mexicans. This is the only time he has played against his boyhood club, the 34-year-old scoring a goal in a 3-2 win over the Liga MX side.