Manchester United's Javier Hernandez aiming for Champions League qualification with victory against Basel

After only managing a point against Benfica on Tuesday, the Red Devils need at least a draw to progress to the final 16, but Chicharito insists it will look for a win

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Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez is confident his side will progress to the last 16 in the Champions League despite their 2-2 draw with Benfica on Tuesday.

"We will go to Basel to win the game," Chicharito told MUTV. "We have lost two home points against Benfica but this is football. Benfica are a strong team, unbeaten this season, and they played very well against us.

"We are still in the fight, we have nine points and we will go to Switzerland to get another three. We are Manchester United and we never give up, we work very hard for every game."

The Red Devils need a point from their final game against Basel to qualify from Group C, but are likely only to finish second behind the Portuguese outfit who top the table on head-to-head fixtures.

If the Old Trafford side do finish as group runners-up, it may face Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the knockout stages, yet the 23-year-old preferred to focus on the task of qualification first.

"First we need to qualify and then look at which teams we will play," he added. 

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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/85/england/2011/11/23/2771126/manchester-uniteds-javier-hernandez-aiming-for-champions

Manchester United's Chicharito hails teammate Danny Welbeck’s flying start to the season

The Mexico international is impressed with the young Englishman’s improvement since his arrival at Old Trafford and optimistic about the team's hopes of a 20th league title

Javier Hernandez Chicharito And Park Ji Sung

Javier Hernandez has praised teammate Danny Welbeck’s excellent start to the season and believes Manchester United’s young stars will play a key role in the club’s quest for a record 20th league title.

Having enjoyed a productive loan spell with Sunderland last term, Welbeck has made a blistering start to the current campaign at Old Trafford, bagging five goals and catching the eye with his searing pace and tireless work rate.

Hernandez, who made a similarly revelatory impact for United last season, admitted he has been impressed by the dramatic improvement his teammate has made since making his senior debut three years ago.

“Yes, I’d seen [Welbeck] play quite a few times, and not only last year when he was on loan at Sunderland,” the Mexican told Inside United.

“I remember when I was in Mexico and I was watching Manchester United on television – Danny was just starting to come into the team and be given a few chances.

“You could see he had a lot of potential then, and was improving all the time. He was a good prospect then and now he’s even better. He’s had a great start to the season.”

With the likes of Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Phil Jones now in the ranks, 'Chicharito' is confident about United’s chances of securing a record 20th league title under the noses of bitter local rivals Manchester City.

“I’m sure we can do it,” he added. “We have a lot of young players who are hungry to do well, and that helps inspire the rest of the squad.

“They may have been here for many years and won a lot of trophies, but they still have a lot of desire.

“I think we have a good mix of youth and experience, and that will be very important for us.”
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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1956/europe/2011/11/14/2756617/manchester-uniteds-chicharito-hails-teammate-danny-welbecks

Chicharito praises 'unbelievable' Sir Alex Ferguson

The Scot is set to complete his 25th year in the Old Trafford dugout but the Mexican is still in awe over his enthusiasm for the job and his personality off the pitch

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Javier Hernandez has heaped praise on Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of his 25th anniversary at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Mexican has been one of Sir Alex’s best signings, forming a deadly partnership up front with Wayne Rooney since signing from Chivas de Guadalajara in 2010.

And he believes his manager is incomparable to all others due to his continuing enthusiasm and will to win, which is still just as strong today

Javier Hernandez Chicharito And Sir Alex Ferguson

"He's completely different," Hernandez told Inside United. "You can't compare him to anybody else. What's impressed me most about him, and this is something I noticed from the first day I met him, is that he's a very simple person. You can talk about all the things he's won and all the years he's been in charge but you wouldn't know it if you watched him on the bench. Every game looks like it's his first game for him. He's so excited, so enthusiastic - he wants to win so much. That is key: he will never get bored of winning and he enjoys what he does."

 

Aside from Ferguson's drive to win, Hernandez says the boss treats his players well.

"He's also a really nice man," the forward said. "Every day he'll ask me how I'm feeling, whether I'm okay, whether I need anything. He's just an unbelievable person and he doesn't treat you differently whether you're on the pitch or off the pitch. He recognizes that first you are a human being and then you are a football player. He knows that if you're doing okay in your personal life then you'll be okay in your profession."

When asked if anybody in Mexico could come close to replicating Sir Alex’s stay at Old Trafford, Hernandez sounded certain it wouldn't happen any time soon.

"No, no.  Sometimes a manager is only in charge for two games before they get fired! It's a very different culture. It would be a miracle in Mexico if somebody stayed in the job for 25 years!"

Manchester United's Chicharito stretchered off with ankle injury during Aston Villa clash, could miss four weeks according to Sir Alex Ferguson

Though there is no official diagnosis, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chicharito could miss four weeks

Javier Hernandez Chicharito

Manchester United's Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez was stretchered off with an ankle injury during the Premier League game against Aston Villa on Saturday and Sir Alex Ferguson believes he could be out for four weeks, though no official diagnosis has come through.

"I think it’s torn ligaments in the ankle, it’ll keep him out for maybe four weeks,” Ferguson told ESPN after the game. "We’re having a bad time with injuries at the moment, so it’s just as well we have a strong squad.

The Mexican international joins forwards Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov on the treatment table, meaning Danny Welbeck will see more playing time.

There was nobody near the 23-year-old when he went down in the Villa penalty box, as he appeared to turn his left ankle. The incident happened six minutes into the game.

If the player is indeed out four weeks, then he could miss up to five Premier League games, and will certainly miss Manchester United's Champions League decider at FC Basel on Wednesday.

Manchester United's Chicharito stretchered off with ankle injury during Aston Villa clash, could miss four weeks according to Sir Alex Ferguson

Though there is no official diagnosis, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chicharito could miss four weeks

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez was stretchered off with an ankle injury during the Premier League clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.

The 23-year-old Mexican went down in the Villa penalty box untouched by an opposing defender, appearing to turn on his left ankle early into the game.

Sir Alex Ferguson told cameras post-match that Chicharito had torn some ligaments and will miss four weeks with the injury.

United won the dreary game 1-0 at Villa Park.
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http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1918/mexicans-abroad/2011/12/03/2786952/manchester-united-striker-javier-hernandez-stretchered-off

'A goal is a goal' – Chicharito says he does not mind how he scores for Manchester United

The Mexican is yet to score from outside the box for the Red Devils, much like striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, but says it does not matter whether you score a tap in or a screamer

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Javier Hernandez has said that he does not mind how he scores goals for Manchester United - as long as he keeps scoring them.

'Chicharito' is yet to score from outside the penalty area for United, in the same manner as former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who went 138 games without scoring a goal from beyond 18 yards despite his impressive record of 150 goals in 219 appearances.

Comparisons have been sparked following the Mexican's latest effort against Everton, which earned United a 1-0 win.

When asked whether he will find the net from long distance, Hernandez told Inside United, "You never know!

Hernandez also mentioned that United's tactical setup was a big factor in how he scores his goals.

"I think part of the reason I haven't done that yet is because of the instructions I receive from Sir Alex [Ferguson]," he continued. "My job is to play very high, right on the last man. To be honest, I don't mind how I score goals - whether or not you score from one meter or from the halfway line, it counts the same. A goal is a goal."


Source

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/85/england/2011/10/31/2736963/a-goal-is-a-goal-chicharito-says-he-does-not-mind-how-he

Zac Lee Rigg: Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez keeps his homebody humility despite razor run to soccer's pinnacle

From nearly quitting soccer to starting a Champions League final in a handful of months, Hernandez's most impressive attribute is his humility. 

Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez is so good, he doesn't even need to touch the ball to score anymore.

In the fledgling minutes of a friendly against Serbia, Hernandez darted toward the near side to meet a Carlos Salcido cross with defender Slobodan Rajkovic close behind. Neither made contact with the ball though they were a mere pea's width away. That so surprised goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic, who had moved to his right to cover the near post, he allowed the ball to trickle in on his left.

Even as Mexico waltzed and whirled to an impressive 2-0 win ("We played free, we played calm," Salcido said according to Medio Tempo), to Serbia's credit the defense tightened after that. Stojkovic snapped out of his daze to pull off a number of solid blocks, and the backline took turns figuring out who could kick Hernandez as high in the air as possible.

Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov won that particular competition. Though Branislav Ivanovic also collected a yellow for a rough challenge, Kolarov stupidly shoved Hernandez in the box to earn his second caution.  

Chicharito slid home the penalty in the 87th minute and then coach Jose Manuel 'Chepo' de la Torre yanked him out of the game in case any other Serbian defenders tried to one-up Kolarov.

De la Torre had left the Manchester United striker in the match as long as he could, knowing El Tri needed the insurance goal with Serbia wrestling back possession in the second half. The win marked Chepo's first on home soil (admittedly, his chances have been limited: an agreement with Soccer United Marketing sees Mexico play five friendlies a year in the United States) and was Mexico's first home win against a European opponent in 17 years. 

Javier Hernandez Chicharito

 

For Hernandez, the penalty marked his 23rd goal in 25 international starts (33 appearances total). He scores for El Tri once every 96.8 minutes of field-time.

Really, his goalscoring record is the only scandalous aspect of the 23-year-old. This is a player who, when he traveled to the World Cup in 2010, still lived with his parents and studied business administration at Universidad del Valle de Atemajac. The city of Manchester is rife with stories of his random acts of kindness, including giving a signed jersey and poster to the son of a women who helped him overcome the language barrier at a shop.

"I will always be the same kid, with my feet always on the ground," he told ESPN after signing with United. "I am, first and foremost, a human being."

Hernandez is the anti-Balotelli – the calm, kind kid who somehow becomes even more polite and respectful as the zeros add up in his bank account (he signed a new five-year deal with the Red Devils in October). He's the goalscorer with gaudy stats who somehow isn't greedy.

"I scored a goal but it is Manchester United that scored," Hernandez said after notching the equalizer in a 1-1 tie against Liverpool on Oct. 15. "It doesn’t matter who scored the goals. There are no heroes here."

Perhaps not, but Hernandez is certainly beloved in Mexico if the feminine shrieks when he scored against Serbia are anything to go by.

Hernandez started playing for Chivas in his hometown of Guadalajara at 9 years old. He signed his first contract at 15, but up until then his father, Javier 'Chicharo' Hernandez (the son derives his nickname and piercing green eyes from his sire), didn't think his boy would take up the family profession.

Chicharito's maternal grandfather, Tomas Balcazar, scored five goals in four qualifying matches to lead Mexico to the 1954 World Cup. There, he notched against France at 22 years of age. Hernandez senior played for El Tri in the 1986 World Cup.

But if the three generations of Mexican strikers seems predestined now (Hernandez the younger symmetrically scored against France in the World Cup at 22 years of age), it wasn't always assured. Chicharito didn't make the Mexico roster that won the U17 World Cup in 2005 with attacking talent like Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos. At 20, Chicharito considered dropping soccer altogether to concentrate on his university studies. He saw younger players pass him into the full team and wondered if he had a future as a starter.

Talks with his agent, parents, grandparents and girlfriend eventually reminded him that soccer was his passion, and he decided to continue.

That year, he went on to score 21 goals in 28 games for Chivas. Less than 12 months later, he was on a plane to watch Manchester United face Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, meet Sir Alex Ferguson and sign for the Red Devils. 

Javier Hernandez Chicharito

 

United was presciently eager to tie down the prodigy before he excelled in South Africa and demanded secrecy in the deal so that no Spanish teams could scupper it, meaning Chicharito told his grandfather he was flying to Atlanta on holiday up until a day before he left. Balcazar says he burst into tears and nearly had a heart-attack upon learning of the deal.

The entire family, grandpops included, moved to England with Chicharito. Earlier, Chicharo had quit his job as Chivas reserve team manager when the club didn't grant him time off to watch his son in the World Cup. "Work is secondary," he explained.

Like the Bluths, family comes first for the Hernandezes. However, Chicharito knows how to get down to business as well. He scored 20 goals in all competitions his first season in England, with Ferguson crediting the Mexican's form for dropping Premier League top scorer Dimitar Berbatov; Hernandez started the Champions League final with the Bulgarian in the stands.

Chicharito's clinical edge is one of the main reasons Mexico has retaken control in CONCACAF after nearly a decade of U.S. dominance. Hernandez scored seven goals in six games to finish top scorer and MVP of the latest Gold Cup, which Mexico won.

The Americans have lacked incision up top ever since Charlie Davies' automobile accident scythed the striker down before his prime. In his stead, the burly Jozy Altidore has led the line with a bluntness that contrasts with the razor runs of Hernandez, who posted the top speed of any player at the 2010 World Cup at 32.15 kilometers/hour (nearly 20 miles/hour).

Aside from pace, Chicharito's movement flummoxes defensive lines and his gentleness is belied by sheer ruthlessness in front of goal. In the Premier League, Hernandez puts 62 percent of his shots on target. Of his 17 league goals, three have come from his left foot, eight from his right and six from headers. Even at only 5-feet, 9-inches, Hernandez is adept at using his noggin, not to mention his impressive vert.

"You think, OK, here's this little midget," Jesus Padilla, Hernandez's teammate at Chivas for three years, told the New York Times. "But he's got some serious hops. He's amazing in the air."

As youth players in the Guadalajara system, Padilla showed more promise. Instead his middling career has meandered, taking him to Major League Soccer and the Mexican second tier on loan deals, while Hernandez matured into the continent's biggest star. If you had told the future to a teenaged Chicharito, he probably wouldn't have believed you.

"Suddenly I'm going to be playing with the players I know from PlayStation and television," Hernandez said when he signed for Manchester United. "I'm living in a dream."