Los Angeles, California — A splash signing has officially been announced in MLS. After weeks of speculation and rumors, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández has joined the LA Galaxy. This puts a whole new perspective on the Los Angeles rivalry, between the Galaxy and Los Angeles FC.
There’s a large Mexican influence in Los Angeles, and now it’s only greater. Carlos Vela emerged as the large Mexican name in the city when he became Los Angeles FC’s first-ever signing. There’s also Jonathan dos Santos, who hails from Monterrey. Now, add in Chicharito, who has more than 100 appearances for the Mexican National Team.
The Los Angeles Times broke then news of Chicharito’s arrival. Then, the Galaxy confirmed the news with a press release. Chicharito told the L.A. Times that it was the “right time” to come to the Galaxy.
“Javier has consistently scored goals in top leagues throughout the world and has been his country’s most successful player over the last decade,” Dennis te Kloese, Galaxy general manager, said. “He is a competitor who has proven success at the highest level and has scored the most goals ever of one of the best teams in Concacaf. We think he can be one of Major League Soccer’s best attacking threats and help our team in multiple ways.”
“We are excited to bring Javier to Los Angeles and we look forward to him representing this city and our fans as a member of the LA Galaxy.”
According to Sports Illustrated, the Galaxy paid $9.4 million to Sevilla for Chicharito. The Mexican made nine appearances for the Spanish club in the span of six months, scoring one goal. Chicharito also spent time with Guadalajara, Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham.
“Imagine four more stars on this badge.” – @CH14_ 🙏 pic.twitter.com/jWudICcRs7
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) January 21, 2020
Chicharito’s Impact on MLS
Chris Klein, president of the Galaxy, summed up the reasoning behind signing Chicharito. The Galaxy, he said, are continuing to “pursue top talent across the world that will improve our team.”
He continued to call Chicharito an iconic figure.
“The LA Galaxy have represented Los Angeles and have been the benchmark in Major League Soccer since 1996, and our pursuit of the world’s best players for our club will continue to play a part in our success,” he said. “We are excited to add Javier to our club and look forward to him representing the LA Galaxy in our stadium and in the Los Angeles community.”
The all-time leading scorer for Mexico, Chicharito has 52 goals in 109 appearances for his country. He made his World Cup debut in 2010, and competed in the following tournaments in Brazil and Russia.
“I’m arriving with the best club in MLS, so I’m very excited about this,” Chicharito said to the Galaxy. “I’m simply ready to finally put the shirt on. I want to achieve a lot of things with the LA Galaxy because that’s what prove and show. I signed with this club for [four seasons] so imagine four more stars on this badge. It’ll be awesome.”
The highlight for Chicharito of his MLS campaign will be El Traffico matches. This season, the Galaxy and LAFC will meet up in May and August.
Imaginémonos cosas chingonas. pic.twitter.com/uYK2rxpmAH
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) January 21, 2020
