Javier "Chicharito" Hernández has broken his dry spell as he has scored a goal after a 102-day drought. Following 18 matches, the Mexican striker annotated for his Bayer Leverkusen team against Altético Mineiro in the Florida Cup. It was a friendly match, but it shows that the soccer star still has it in him to make his team proud. Watch the moment down below and tell us what you think!
Chicharito was born on June 1, 1988. His nickname, “El Chicharito,” means “the little pea.” It is a diminutive form of the nickname given to his father Javier Hernández Gutiérrez, who was known as “El Chicharo” (the pea) in reference to his physical features (short with green eyes). He joined C.D. Guadalajara at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract when he was 15. He featured only fleetingly for Chivas (C.D. Guadalajara) after joining their first team in 2006 and doubts were raised about his future.
He wanted to retire at age 17 after not making it to the 2005 U-17 World Cup Mexican squad. His goal celebration, forming a “C” with his hand and raising it up, means he is dedicating the score to his sister, Ana Silvia, with whom he is very close to. The letter stands for “Chimol,” his sister’s nickname. His idols growing up were Hugo Sánchez and Rafael Márquez. He made his debut on El Tri, nickname for Mexico’s National team, in 2009.
In 2010, he was elected FIFA World Cup’s fastest player at 19.97 mph. During the same tournament, he scored against France just like his grandfather, Tomás Balcázar, did in the 1954 World Cup officiated in Switzerland. He became the first Mexican player to appear in a UEFA Champions League final in his debut season for Manchester United.
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