Hermosillo in Galaxy Spotlight
Carlos Hermosillo is not entirely comfortable speaking English yet.
So when the Galaxy’s newest star introduced himself to the team Saturday afternoon, he smiled and shook hands a lot.
The true communication took place on the practice field.
There, dressed all in black like a gunslinger, Hermosillo flashed low shots into the corner of the net. Or chipped the ball just beyond the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
The big, strong forward even launched himself into an acrobatic bicycle kick.
“This is a team that has a great dynamic, very explosive,” he said afterward through a translator. “That fits well with what I do.”
And what he does can be understood in any language.
Over the course of his career, Hermosillo has scored more goals than any player in the history of Mexico’s national team. More goals than all but a few ever to play in Mexico’s first division.
Tonight, the former Cruz Azul star gets his first opportunity to translate that world-class talent to Major League Soccer when Los Angeles plays the New England Revolution at the Rose Bowl.
Coach Octavio Zambrano expects to give him significant playing time. While the Galaxy already has offensive standouts such as Welton, Mauricio Cienfuegos and Clint Mathis, there is something different about the new guy.
“He’s a dynamic we’ve never had on this team,” Zambrano said. “A true center-forward.”
Hermosillo became available to the league only after a controversial decision that left him off Mexico’s World Cup team. He subsequently was allocated to Los Angeles, leading to speculation that a player of his strength and experience could provide a potent target for the Galaxy’s speedy wingers.
Which begs the question: On a team that is scoring in record numbers this season, a team that just annihilated the Dallas Burn, 8-1, last Thursday, will there be enough shots to go around?
“I don’t see that as a problem,” Zambrano said. “I see him as one more weapon in our arsenal.”
But as one of the biggest names ever to join the three-year-old league, Hermosillo will be called upon to produce more than just goals. That much was evident Saturday as crews worked into the evening, hurriedly replacing the Rose Bowl’s old bleacher benches with new plastic seats--seats that Hermosillo is supposed to fill.
