rachel: Hernandez scores in United loss

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Hernandez scores in United loss

Javier Hernandez Chicharito

On July 2010

Javier Hernandez scored against his new club as Manchester United fell to the second defeat of their pre-season tour with a 3-2 loss at the hands of Chivas Guadalajara.

Hernandez signed for United for £7.5 million with a condition of the deal being the Red Devils play a friendly in Mexico - with the striker playing a half for both his old and new clubs.

And the 22-year-old, starting for Chivas, took just nine minutes to score against United before Chris Smalling levelled less than 60 seconds later.

But Adolfo Bautista put the home side back in front six minutes before half-time and Hector Reynoso made it 3-1 15 minutes after the break before Nani struck back for United.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men demolished the MLS All-Stars 5-2 earlier this week, with Hernandez scoring a sublime lob on his debut, but it was the Mexican side who came out of the blocks quickest in Guadalajara.

The 11-time Mexican champions, never relegated from the top flight, were always likely to present a sterner test than their MLS counterparts.

And Hernandez, known as Chicharito, dispatched a superb left-footed 20-yard shot past Tomasz Kuszczak in the United goal after Bautista's neat flick.

But United seized the initiative straight from the restart, winning a corner which the towering Smalling headed home.

Bautista should have put Chivas back in front after 17 minutes but the 31-year-old could not direct his free header on target.

But United were not without their chances and Mame Biram Diouf nearly took advantage of a loose ball but Chivas keeper Luis Ernesto Michel got there first.

Mexico international Bautista ensured Chivas went into half-time ahead when he flicked home a low free-kick, although there were suspicions that Hernandez was offside.

United started the second half strongly and Diouf won an early free-kick which Smalling nearly converted with a glancing header.

Despite his impressive first half performance, Hernandez barely featured for United having switched sides for the second half.

United, albeit far from full strength, have looked vulnerable from set-pieces throughout this pre-season tour and were made to pay again when Reynoso headed home after a short corner was not dealt with.

Hernandez was subbed with 65 minutes on the clock as Ferguson made a quadruple change.

And United grabbed one back with 10 minutes remaining when Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck exchanged passes before Cleverley was tackled, only for the ball to fall kindly to Nani who slotted home.

But the fight back ended there as United suffered a second defeat to accompany their 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.