Update (4:45 pm):
In the end it was more like "no, no, Chicharito."
For the second time in three years Barcelona beat Manchester United to capture the the UEFA Champions League crown. The Catalan side absolutely outplayed their English rivals in a 3-1 victory earlier today.
Lionel Messi of Argentina was named man of the match after scoring the game-winning goal early in the second half. But it was a total team effort that gave Barca the title and championship medals for Messi, fellow countryman Javier Mascherano, and Brazilians Dani Alves and Adriano.
Mexican Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez was a non-factor in the match and the disappointment in his face was evident after he received the runners-up medal.
Ecuadorian Antonio Valencia, who hoped to cap his comeback months after a serious injury, was also ineffective and lucky not to have received a yellow card after multiple hard fouls against Barca players.
Original post:
At the time of this post the UEFA Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United is scoreless after seventeen minutes of play. Ahead of the kickoff the Spanish side was the odds-on favorite to win the European title.
The Barca team coached by Jose "Pep" Guardiola and starring the likes of Lio Messi and Andres Iniesta are looking to consolidate themselves as one of the best clubs ever. United can beat their rivals by playing a flawless match at Wembley. Striker Wayne Rooney will be looking for revenge two years after being part of a United side that lost 2-0 against Barca in the final. Ecuadorian Antonio Valencia is in today's starting lineup as part of an inspiring comeback eight months after suffering a near-career ending injury.
Alongside Rooney and starting with Valencia is Mexico's Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez. The 22-year-old "little pea" has paid dividends for United after he tallied twenty goals in his first Premier League season. Hernandez has received plenty of praise in England for his hard work and maturity while playing in one of the world's top leagues. "Javier has developed his strength through his own volition...making sure he was in early every morning doing his core work and working on his upper body strength to handle the rigours of the Premier League" said his coach, Sir Alex Ferguson to BBC Sport.
As mentioned in The Guardian, the popularity of the former Chivas de Guadalajara star has grown in his native Mexico:
In Mexico, where what was supposed to be a year's supply of "Chicharito" shirts recently sold out in two months, that is certainly the expectation. "They are showing it live on television," Hernández says. "I read the newspapers back home and they are all supporting me and looking forward to the final. They have even changed the time of an international friendly so it doesn't clash." Mexico versus Ecuador was originally due to kick off in Seattle at 9pm British time. It has now been put back two hours – purely because of the Hernández factor.The Anyone But United fans (myself included) will be cheering hard for a Barca win but there will be plenty of people cheering on "ManU" and singing (perhaps off-key) the praises of "Chicharito":
(Hat tip on the video link: Deadspin).
Online Source - The Guardian, BBC Sport, internetslang.com, Deadspin
Video Source - YouTube
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