🐐 Will Chicharito's presence be enough for Chivas vs. rival América?

A goal would be nice, but is it necessary?

What if he did it? That’s the question that was on everyone’s mind when Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez announced his romantic return to Chivas de Guadalajara, the team where he grew into the forward who would score goals in Manchester, Madrid and beyond.

What if he, at the time still a bit balky as he continued to recover from an ACL tear suffered last summer, came on at a crucial time and scored? What if he decided a game against one of Chivas’ rivals, Atlas across town or Club América in the Clásico Nacional?

(Photo by Ulises Ruiz/AFP)

Chicharito has returned to the field. He played against América in the Concacaf Champions Cup. He played against Atlas in a league match.

And now, Wednesday and Saturday, he gets another crack at Las Aguilas, with two Clásico Nacional matches taking place in the two-legged Liguilla semifinals.

But here is the sum total of Chicharito goals since his return, an opener against Puebla, by far the worst team in Liga MX this season:

If you’re a top forward, your YouTube compilation of “All Goals scored (2024)” shouldn’t be the same length as the video that says “Debut goal scored with club”.

Yet, for Chicharito, it might not matter. His mere presence is what’s important.

Chicharito’s presence is enough for two reasons, one practical, one much more ethereal.

The practical? Chivas doesn’t have another player who moves like a traditional forward does, and they play a lot better when they have an actual forward on the field.

That’s why, early in the season before Chicharito was fit and before Ricardo Marin was in a rhythm, manager Fernando Gago tried Cade Cowell and other wide players in the middle. Have you seen Cade Cowell play as a central forward? He’s definitely more comfortable out wide. So is Roberto Alvarado.

But Chicharito wants to be in the middle, getting into the box, fighting for the ball both in the air and on the ground, and giving those wide players someone to play with after they get forward or win a one-on-one.

Having an icon up top who is yet to find his scoring rhythm is a luxury Chivas have earned through they’re recent uptick in form.

Just a few months ago, when those first Clásico matches were taking place, Chivas were thought to be in crisis. Since recuperating a number of defensive starters and seeing goalkeeper Raul Rangel bloom into an upper-echelon Liga MX starter, the team has turned things around.

“What changed? I’ve been saying that we kept the same way of working, but the guys know it’s the work they put in,” Gago said after a scoreless draw with Toluca in the second leg.

That game saw Chicharito get into a good spot but put his shot well off the frame in a situation that likely would’ve killed off the series. So, the limitations are sometimes clear for the 35-year-old who, again, returned from an ACL tear just a few months ago.

That’s why the other presence Chicharito brings is so important. He’s…freaking Chicharito, a club icon, leading the line from the start or coming in to play the last 20 minutes.

Of course it’d be great if he scored, but the person and player he is inspires his teammates, it motivates his fans.

Rival fans mocked him and commentators cried foul when he raised his hands to his ears to celebrate a victory over Atlas - a victory secured by an Alvarado goal in a game that didn’t see Chicharito make huge contributions. He didn’t care. He was referencing a celebration he did during his first spell with the club.

“It came off really well, didn’t it?” he tweeted in response to a tweet that said the celebration was “the only thing he did.”

Chicharito is always a player who has evoked passions - sometimes negative, wondering why the scorer isn’t doing more, others earning the affection of a Manchester United fan in Hong Kong who flew across the Pacific to see him with Chivas.

That fan was overcome with emotion when she met Chicharito before a training session, but the forward gave her this advice:

“Calm down. It’s fine! Enjoy it.”

As he puts together the final chapter of his career, it’s advice he’s giving himself as well. But he and the fans in Guadalajara would be enjoying it that much more if he did it, if he scores against a rival club on the biggest stage.

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Liguilla semifinals

América - Chivas

First leg: 10:05p ET Wednesday, Telemundo
Second leg: 10p ET Saturday, Univision

Cruz Azul - Monterrey

First leg: 11p ET Thursday, Univision
Second leg: 8p ET Sunday, Univision

This week also brings the Campeon de Campeones in Mexico’s second division with Apertura winner Cancun FC meeting Atlante. The winner of course will … still be in the second division, though there is a cash prize.

I wrote about the situation in the second division last year, and not too much has changed

First leg is Wednesday at 9p ET with the second Saturday at 8p ET.

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Back later this week with a few pieces on topics outside Mexico. Tell your friends!