EDITORIAL – The LA Galaxy have won of their first two games of 2021, both by a score of 3-2. Javier Chicharito Hernandez has scored five of the six goals. He scored two goals all of last season. He’s been energetic and clinical during matches. He’s chortled humbly through post-game interviews full of catharsis. But is this sustainable? With that, let’s take a look at all five goals Chicharito MLS goals so far.
Breaking Down the Five Chicharito MLS Goals in 2021
Let’s see how much these goals are typical of Chicharito, what he and his teammates are doing well, and whether they can keep it up.
The first @CH14_ Goal of 2021 ✨ pic.twitter.com/mJTXMEALUc
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) April 18, 2021
This is a clinical striker’s goal. First off, great work by Ethan Zubak. He was subbed in to play up top with Chicharito. He goes out wide to find space and beats his marker to get the ball into the box. Hernandez does a great job getting into a position for Zubak to feed him the ball with a pass that could be easily executed.
From there, he has a great first touch to set up the shoot. He’s a little lucky given the goalkeeper’s positioning, but the five seconds before the shot he and Zubak made their own luck.
Verdict: Good goal, even if it’s not a typical Chicharito goal. If Zubak/the wingers can do this regularly, it’s a viable sequence to create chances.
Chichabrace 💚🖤
2 for @CH14_ ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/pDFZ8bL3cG
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) April 18, 2021
Textbook poacher’s goal. Again, there’s a bit of a fortuitous bounce with John McCarthy not collecting the cross, but that’s a tough play to read with another Galaxy player going up to try and head it. Does he track the trajectory of the ball or anticipate where it goes if it’s headed on?
That said, there’s four Galaxy players in the box, two inside the six, to just one Inter field player. Anything less than a clean catch would have led to a chance or nervous moment. Chicharito reads the play well and positions himself to pounce.
Verdict: The goal comes off a mistake by the goalkeeper, which isn’t reliable. But if Greg Vanney’s tactics will have Chicharito have a striker partner or crosses into the box with a numbers advantage (something that wasn’t the case last year), it can lead to goals via volume chances.
The man is on fire 🔥@CH14_ gets his third of the 2021 season 💪 pic.twitter.com/hBGcB1AcaR
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) April 25, 2021
Good work to create the turnover, then it’s all taking advantage of time and space. Not sure if Zubak meant for that to be a shot or a cross. Regardless, great hustle play by Chicharito (guess his gym work in the offseason is playing off) to get to the back post and finish. Zubak again provides the service.
Verdict: Great goal. Am I noticing a trend with Zubak providing service? Just like the first goal in Miami, great run, great finish by Chicha.
1️⃣4️⃣ passes to a goal by 1️⃣4️⃣#LAGalaxy x @CH14_ pic.twitter.com/B1NUKayzCP
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) April 25, 2021
First off, great work by all the players on the right side of the field to pass it around, avoiding any pressing triggers against New York Red Bulls. They switched the field at the right moment and Victor Vazquez showed his quality on the service.
Great run in both location and timing by Chicharito to find the space between the center backs to score. Real Robbie Keane energy on that play.
Verdict: Most typical/classic Chicharito goal of the five. Made a run to find space. Right place, right time, good finish, and made it all look so easy. If Vazquez, Zubak, and the new French signings can stay on the same page with Chicharito in terms of his timing, we’ll see many more goals just like this one.
HAT TRICK HERO 🎩@CH14_ scores his third goal of the afternoon ✨ pic.twitter.com/UYy4UASPKz
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) April 25, 2021
It’s been a bit troubling that two games into the season the Galaxy still seem reliant on long crosses into the box. That said, they’ve done so with more numbers in the box and better execution on those crosses. Just like the second goal in Miami, a Galaxy player (Vazquez) has the first chance at the ball, making it a tough read for all the RBNY players. A bounce off a defender and Chicharito has a tap in, albeit on an unnecessary scissor kick.
Verdict: Another great poacher’s goal. Anticipate where the ball might be going if the defense doesn’t play it perfectly.
Last Word: So far so good, making progress towards sustainability
This is what Chicharito did most of his career in Europe and his time with the Mexican National Team. He doesn’t score a lot of golazos. Most of his damage is done in and around the six yard box. He finds spaces and exploits it with finishes, making it look simple/easy on the surface. He doesn’t create his own chances or score via a large volume of touches in the box.
He’s clearly in much better state physically, mentally, and emotionally. It looks like he can keep it up. All that’s missing is for the team to get the ball in good areas to provide him service and/or manifest chaos in the box. If Vanney can make that happen, he will score more than 15 goals this year.
