Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez has always been the dream signing for MLS. Aside from Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no bigger superstar in North America than the Mexico striker.
He is a player that brings a different level of attention in this part of the world and, for years and years, despite attempt after attempt, it looked like that unmatched potential would never be fulfilled.
Sure, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was an incredible signing, as his quips and miracle goals captured attention both in the U.S. and abroad.
Of course, the signing of Wayne Rooney was massive, and it was made even bigger by the Englishman's willingness to be a spokesman for the league.
Players like David Villa, Kaka and Bastian Schweinsteiger all brought eyeballs to their respective teams. But none of the players mentioned – not even Ibrahimovic – can do what Chicharito can do.
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And now, finally, after years of pursuing what appeared to be a pipe dream, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star is headed to LA Galaxy.
Following the loss of Ibrahimovic this offseason, the team that has established itself as the MLS leader in big splashes somehow found a way to replace the boisterous Swede with a player that will bring even more attention and bigger headlines.
Several teams have tried to lure the Mexico star to America. The Galaxy went out and did it at the time when the club and league needed him most.
That is not to say Hernandez is a better player than Ibrahimovic or Rooney, both of whom departed the league this winter while leaving MLS lacking in star power. He is certainly not more accomplished than Rooney, the man he backed up during his time at United.
He also has not scored anywhere near as many goals as Ibrahimovic, who arrived in Manchester shortly after Chicharito's Old Trafford departure for a journey that included a mixed bag of stops at Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and Sevilla.
But Chicharito's pull is unique.
To this day, despite the rapid growth of the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga, Liga MX remains the most-watched league in the United States by a large margin. In 2018, Liga MX amassed 105,636,000 viewers, per World Soccer Talk, nearly doubling the Premier League's 62,133,000 and tripling the 31,350,000 that tuned into MLS matches.
The Mexican national team played 12 matches in the U.S. in 2019, with 690,554 fans attending for an average of 57,546 per game. The U.S. men's national team, on the other hand, averaged 23,306 per game. The only two matches with more than 28,000 fans in attendance? You guessed it: Mexico.
MLS may represent American, and Canadian, soccer, but there is no doubt that Mexico is king, and Chicharito is perhaps the most popular figure in Mexican soccer history.
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It's a rising tide that lifts all boats. Galaxy merchandise and ticket sales will soar, for sure. Tickets will sell out wherever they play, and there will certainly be hundreds, if not thousands, of green and red-clad fans in attendance at every stop.
Even the Chicago Fire, perhaps the biggest loser in all of this – given their rumored interest in the forward over the years and their desperate need for any sort of star – will benefit from packing Soldier Field when the Chicharito show rolls into town.
But this signing is no mere marketing ploy.
The on-the-field impact should also be massive, as Chicharito joins a Galaxy team that appears to be perfectly constructed for his talents. He will go straight into a lineup loaded with creators, from Cristian Pavon to Sebastian Lletget to Jonathan dos Santos.
The Galaxy have talent, even if they have not quite lived up to expectations in recent years. Chicharito's signing gives the club a player that should provide double-digit goals in even the worst of circumstances, as he should instantly become one of the more feared strikers in MLS.
Somehow, someway, the Galaxy have done it again. Despite the rise of megaclubs like Atlanta United and Los Angeles FC, the Galaxy have once again demonstrated that this club still has more pull than perhaps any in North America.
Not all of their moves have worked out, but, while other clubs continue to try to outdo each other, the Galaxy still find ways to come over the top and remind everyone of who they are.
In recent seasons, it has not translated into an MLS Cup, but there is no mistaking the club's intent and willingness to simply get things done, no matter what.
In 2007, the Galaxy became the club that changed MLS forever by signing David Beckham, ushering in an era that saw the sport reach new heights in America.
In the first few weeks of 2020, the Galaxy have made another statement, sealing the biggest signing to come to MLS since.
