Picture Credit: MLS
LA Galaxy midfielder Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez had a bittersweet end to his near-perfect performance against Sporting Kansas City. Playing at the Dignity Health Sports Park, the Mexican international netted two game-levelling goals as he kept the home team in the game.
But in the dying minutes of the fixture, the victory was handed to him and LA Galaxy on a silver platter but Chicharito completely missed the opportunity and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Hernandez, after scoring his second goal at the 88-minute mark, got another penalty to seal the game.
Here the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man attempted a very ambitious panenka kick, which immediately backfired with Sporting KC keeper John Pulskamp holding his grounding and comfortably saving the spot kick. The Galaxy could have been one point away from the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs line in the Western Conference with a converted penalty.
After the game, Chicharito addressed his decision to take the Panenka and took all blame for the team’s result. He said, "It's a mental game and I dared to take the shot, and the responsibility of not getting the two [extra] points falls on me. I accept it, one hundred per cent."
Hernandez then gave Pulskamp his props for guessing the penalty perfectly. "Unfortunately, I caused my team to drop two points," he acknowledged. "But I'm going to keep on working. There's no other way and I have to accept my responsibility. He [Pulksamp] guessed right and that's it."