Chicharito addresses Mexico snub after netting brace in LA Galaxy win

If Tata Martino wasn't yet feeling the pressure to recall Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez back into the Mexican national team, he will be now.

El Tri's all-time top goalscorer hasn't been capped since 2019 and despite Mexico struggling for a regular goalscorer throughout World Cup qualifying, that doesn't look set to change any time soon.

For his part, Chicharito remains eligible for selection and continued to make his case with a brace in the LA Galaxy's impressive 3-1 win away at the Portland Timbers on Sunday.

That takes the 33-year-old to four goals on the season, just one behind current leader Brandon Vazquez. Last year, Chicharito scored 17 goals despite the Galaxy missing out on the Playoffs, leaving him two short of Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos.

“Like I have said in the last couple of years, the answer will always be the same. I am doing the best I can, I am trying the best I can to be considered, like my dad and my grandfather taught me," Chicharito responded when asked on Sunday how he's responding to being left out of the national team.

"And that’s it, there’s not going to be a different answer from what is on my mind and in my heart, which is that I will continue to try to do the best I can and give it my all.”

LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney refused to be drawn on Martino's national team selection, though he was full of praise for the form of his star striker.

"Since I’ve been here, Javier has been great," said Vanney. "The run that he makes on the first goal that he scores is absolutely top class. I mean, anybody who I’ve paid attention to, he ran this off to the near post, peeled off to his back side. I don’t know, there are only a couple forwards in our league who move like that and make actions like that.

"He’s obviously playing at a high level and he’s capable of scoring goals. Who Tata chooses to bring into the national team and why and why not are his own decisions. But we appreciate the work that Javi has been putting in for us, and the goals that he has been scoring. And we want to keep him in that frame of mind and keep him sharp. And so, the more chances we create and the more times we get into these good spots, his running is just so good that he makes sometimes finishing look easy, but it’s really the work that he does prior to the actual finish that’s just amazing stuff.

"I don’t know what to say about the Mexican National Team stuff. Those are his choices, but we’re happy with the way he’s playing for us.”

For the Galaxy and Chicharito, attention now turns to Saturday's 'El Trafico' clash with city rivals LAFC.