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Mid-Day Ticker: Manchester United deals for ‘Chicharito’, Lennon set for return and more

Javier Hernandez (Reuters) 

Manchester United's quest to get younger and replenish its talent pool has led it to Mexico and one of CONCACAF's brightest young stars.

The English powerhouse has reached an agreement with Chivas de Guadalajara for the rights to Mexican national team striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, a deal that is contingent on Hernandez securing a work permit.

As part of the deal, Manchester United has agreed to play Chivas Guadalajara at their new stadium to kick off next season.

Just 21, Hernandez has scored 11 goals for a red-hot Guadalajara side this season and has made a rapid rise into a major role with the national team. He will be the first Mexican player to play for Manchester United.

Here are some other stories to get your Wednesday going:

Lennon set for shock return from injury

England midfielder and Tottenham star Aaron Lennon looks setto make a surprising return from a groin injury that has kept him out since December and threatened to jeopardize his chances of making England's World Cup team.

Lennon could be in the squad for Tottenham's FA Cup semifinal match-up against Portsmouth this weekend. His return would be an added boost for an England team that has already lost another right winger in David Beckham for the World Cup.

Guerrero banned for throwing bottle at fan

Hamburg and Peruvian national team striker Paolo Guerrero was issueda five-match ban for throwing a bottle at a fan, a ban that effectively ends Guerrero's season.

Guerrero reportedly threw a full bottle at a fan after Hamburg's recent tie vs. Hannover on Sunday, hitting the fan in the shoulder.

The suspension likely marks the end of Guerrero's time with Hamburg as he is out of contract after this season.

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What do you think of this news? Surprised to see Manchester United by 'Chicharito'? Think the Mexican striker can succeed in the Premier League?

Comments

  1. That’s because they need the money. Mexican players can make a nice living at home. Why should US players try to get by on $40,000 /year as a pro soccer player when you can do much better abroad.

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  2. “Mexico with the kind of league they have and the amount of money they invest in the game one would think that they would have more than two successful Mexican players in europe. Don’t compare us to Mexico, are futbol didn’t really take off until 1994, so it’s not fair to compare your number 1 sport to our 4th.”

    I guess it depends on your point of view.

    You evaluate success by how many players a league sends to Europe.

    The US has more players there but if you look at what they have accomplished collectively ( in terms of the quality of their contribution ) it’s a complete runaway for the Mexicans. By and large most of them are signed by better clubs than the US players. In terms of a medal count, between them alone, Marquez and Sanchez have 7 La Liga Titles,never mind anything else. US players have nothing to approach that.

    One other reason so many Americans go to Europe is they can make a much better money even if they are not at an elite club.

    Mexican players on the other hand can make a real nice living by staying at home. I’m sure that as time goes by that will change but not for some time. Now Hush, I I’m sure you think less of the Mexicans as a footballing nation because their players don’t necessarily travel well but then you might want to notice how poorly English players travel .

    US fans really underrate how important succesfully adapting to the local culture can be to a player’s performance.

    Just try doing your job, what ever it may be, in a work place where you don’t speak the language, don’t understand the culture and then have to go home to the same thing. It’s no accident most US players are in Great Britain or Scandanavia and most Mexicans are in Spain.

    As a footballing nation Mexico aren’t necessarily better than us, they are just different. It’s a shame you can’t just appreciate that without injecting the anger and condescension.

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  3. Milan is allegedly set to buy the contract of the 34 year old center half for Chievo , a Colombian whose name escapes me at the moment. There is also their ongoing interest in Vidic.

    The evidence suggests, Milan like Onyewu but not for right away. If he wants to be a fixture at Milan, he is going to have to stay a long time and battle it out.

    US fans won’t like it but that is normally how they do things at Milan anyway, especially witha player like Gooch who, while he has a lot of potential, is still pretty rough around the edges.

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  4. The US might have more players in Europe but Mexican players generally are at the higher level clubs.

    So if you like quality over quantity Mexico has it.

    Mexicans are at

    Arsenal

    Barcelona

    PSV Eindhoven

    Stuttgart

    Villareal

    the only top club with US players:

    Milan (Onyewu, who doesn’t play)

    Villareal ( Jozy on loan to Hell, I mean Hull)

    I’m a US fan but I don’t believe in ignoring the evidence that the US and Mexico are probably on par with each other. Any meeting between the two is a tossup and the result most likely depends where the game will be.

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  5. still waiting for you to name one American that’s achieved what they have. and it wasn’t 90 years ago. it was in my lifetime. Hell our federation was even founded after the mexican one if i recall correctly. Stop making excuses. we got 300 million people. Stop being a victom. Stop making excuses for losing and for not performing. Nothing is preventing Americans from succeeding. But again name one American. YOu criticize me for naming just one mexican. Well now i’ve named two. I’m still waiting for one American that’s achieved what Rafa Marquez and Hugo Sanchez have on a world stage. Don’t duck the question either. You probably just started watching soccer in 94. Shoot maybe even 2002. I just a realist and i can respect the achievement of other players. Too bad you can’t. But again. Name the Americans that can match those achievements of those two players.

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  6. That has to do a lot with the Mexican league. Unlike MLS, players there make a good living. I believe that the U.S. might one day be a top national team, but I highly doubt that the MLS will ever be a top league. Good players will go to Europe while the the rest will stay. The only way for MLS to grow is for the public’s interest to grow. That would only happen if you get rid off the other sports which will never happen.

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  7. “d in reply to derrick…

    “LOL One Mexican player in 90+ years of futbol history is not something to be proud about. 🙂 ”

    I await the name of an american that’s played at Barcelona, Won La Liga twice, and won the Champions League twice.

    But the fact that you claim there’s only 1 mexican in 90+ years shows how ignorant of football history you are.

    Clearly you forgot Hugo Sanchez, the real madrid legend that played for 7 years and had 200+ goals and had more the 50 for Atletico Madrid. Was, and may still be, the second highest scorer in La Liga history, won five straight La Liga titles (from 1985-86 to 1989-90), the Copa del Rey in 1989, and the UEFA Cup in 1986. He scored 38 goals in the 1989-90 season and won the European Golden Boot. and all of that ignores his days at Pumas. The U.S. ever have a European Golden Boot winner?

    Football took off well before 1994. That’s may have been when YOU started paying attention but i was around during the NASL days. I watch Pele and 50k fans come out to see Pele and Beckenbauer. I live in San Francisco and saw Best with the Quakes. I was on those pitches in the 70s and 80s playing the game with thousands of people. Whaa it’s not our biggest sport. Just excuses for not being good enough. Time doesn’t make you good. hard work does.

    That you would ignore Hugo Sanchez tells me how little you know about this game. But i await your naming even one American that can match Marquez success in Europe let alone Hugo Sanchez’s. Name one.

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  8. Im not even comparing, I genuinely want to know. If you are too worried about Mexico then that’s your problem. Remember that not only Mexicans have failed in Europe, Americans have done it as well. Not every player that goes to Europe is going to succeed.

    Reply

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