Hernandez Finally Shows Up
Luis Hernandez finally has made it to Los Angeles.
He wasn’t here last week for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which the Galaxy managed to win without him, but he is here for tonight’s international soccer “friendly” between Mexico and Colombia at the Coliseum.
Before that, though, he wanted to explain why he had missed the most important tournament in the Galaxy’s five-year history.
It was the coach’s fault, he said.
“I wanted to play with the Galaxy very much, but they said I couldn’t play,” Hernandez said at a news conference he had requested Tuesday in Los Angeles. “No. 1, because of my physical condition.
“I wanted to play for both [Club America and the Galaxy], but I didn’t have the coach’s permission to do it. Coco [Club America Coach Alfio “Coco” Basile] said he needed my services for [a game against] Toluca.”
Club America declined to release Hernandez for the Champions Cup, claiming that the forward had injured his ribs. The injury has not caused him to miss any games for Club America, though.
Hernandez, whose contract is owned by Major League Soccer and who plays for Club America in Mexico on loan, dismissed media speculation in Mexico that he was going to be cut by Los Angeles.
“A lot of bad things have been written and said,” he said.
The Galaxy and MLS repeatedly have stated that Hernandez will be here for the final two years of his three-year contract.
“I hope that Mexico secures its place in the World Cup sooner rather than later because, despite what has been written and what has been said, I still want to play with the Galaxy,” Hernandez said. “It is still my team in the United States.”
Just how available he will be remains to be seen. Tim Luce, the Galaxy’s general manager, already has said Hernandez will miss the first two months of the MLS season while playing in Mexico.
Mexico also has 10 World Cup qualifying games in 2001, and some of those are certain to take him away from the Galaxy.
The key for Coach Sigi Schmid, however, will be whether Hernandez is available for the second FIFA World Club Championship in Spain July 29-Aug. 12.
The Galaxy qualified for that 12-team event by winning the Champions Cup and will play its games in either Madrid or Coruna, the two sites for the tournament.
