Daily Headlines: September 2, 2014

* Europe: Mexican soccer star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez left Manchester United to Real Madrid on a season-long loan hours before Colombian striker Radamel Falcao joined the famed Mancunian team via his own season-long loan.

* Peru: Police in Lima displayed a record 7.7 tons of cocaine seized last week that were reportedly destined for Spain and Belgium.

* Uruguay: A senior Uruguayan official claimed that the process of transferring six Guantanamo detainees to the South American country would likely occur after presidential elections next month.

* Cuba: Cuban expats traveling to the island are none too pleased with new government restrictions on items including “hard-to-obtain” consumer goods.

Video Source – Liga BBVA via YouTube

Online Sources – Los Angeles Times; TVNZ; Uruguay; CBS Miami

Daily Headlines: October 25, 2011

* Latin America: The price of coffee could rise due to bad weather hindering Colombian coffee output, while Hurricane Rina strengthened to a Category 2 storm near the Yucatan Peninsula.

* Peru: According to a senior Peruvian official his country and the U.S. are negotiating “a bilateral defense agreement” that would also include greater counternarcotics aid.

* Guatemala: Starting next year Guatemala will take over Brazil’s two-year temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council.

* Mexico: Soccer star Javier “El Chicharito” Hernandez signed a new five-year contract with one of the world’s premier teams: English side Manchester United.

Image – Via Flicker user CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Online Sources- Bloomberg, BusinessWeek, Xinhua, BBC Sport, USA TODAY

Today’s Video: Go, go, Chicharito (Updated)

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

Daily Headlines: March 16, 2011

* Mexico: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored two decisive goals to help Manchester United progress into the Champions League quarterfinals.

* Nicaragua: Representatives for Dole Foods claimed that a federal court dismissed a lawsuit brought up by allegedly poisoned Nicaraguan plantation workers.

* Chile: Variety show host Don Francisco (real name: Mario Kreutzberger) denied tampering with the DNA testing being used in a paternity lawsuit against him.

* Venezuela: Hundreds of students, professors, and workers marched through the streets of Caracas yesterday calling for more public spending on universities.

Image – Reuters via IOL (“Manchester United's Javier Hernandez celebrates with Wayne Rooney (right) after scoring his second goal during their Champions League soccer match against Olympique Marseille at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England.”)
Online Sources- UPI, Press TV, RTT News, The Latin Americanist, The Telegraph

Daily Headlines: February 28, 2011

* Mexico: Javier "Chicharito" Hernández continues to make in impact in England after scoring twice in Manchester United’s 4-0 league win over Wigan Athletic.

* Venezuela: Will Venezuela’s economy grow at a robust pace as the government claims or is the economy shrinking according to the estimate of a major business group?

* Brazil: A government watchdog group found “widespread problems” with twelve host cities preparing for the 2014 World Cup.

* South America: Neighbors Argentina and Uruguay signed an energy agreement as part of a regular series of bilateral meetings between Presidents Cristina Fernandez and Jose Mujica.

Image – Fox News Latino (Javier Hernandez appeared in an advertisement denouncing light of offensive comments made against Mexicans on a recent episode Top Gear).
Online Sources- CNN, El Universal, USA TODAY, Mercopress

Weekend Headlines: April 10-11, 2010

* Mexico: Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez became the first Mexican player to sign with prestigious English soccer side Manchester United.

* U.S.: While the Marcelo Lucero trial nears its end on Long Island four suspects were arrested in an alleged bias attack in nearby Staten Island.

* Cuba: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that the Cuban government doesn’t want to normalize relations with the U.S. since the Castro regime “would then lose all their excuses for what hasn't happened in Cuba in the last 50 years.”

* Costa Rica: China and Costa Rica signed a free trade pact on Thursday that should provide the Central American economy with greater access to the Asian market.

Image – Sky Sports
Online Sources- AFP, LAHT, New York Times, NY1, The Telegraph