The chase for Olympic gold in soccer began this week in Tokyo 2020, with Mexico having a confident start against France(4-1) before being beaten by hosts Japan (2-1). However, El Tri is still one of the favorites to win the tournament, as they did in London 2012. They have a strong squad, but many people wonder why Javier “Chicharito” Hernández isn’t in the roster.
The Los Angeles Galaxy forward has been enjoying at the beginning of the 2021 MLS Regular season. The Mexican has shown he is in good shape, scoring 10 goals in 10 games so far. The 33 year old striker has proved he’s still got it.
Nevertheless, he hasn’t been called to play with Mexico either for the Gold Cup or the Olympic Games. Here, find out the reasons why Chicharito Hernández wasn’t considered to play for his country in Tokyo 2020.
Why Chicharito Hernandez isn’t playing for Mexico in Tokyo 2020?
There are various reasons why Chicharito Hernández isn’t part of the Mexican roster in the Olympic Games. First, the Games aren’t considered a major soccer tournament, so the teams are formed mostly by U-23 players.
However, there’s a chance for three overage players to be called for the Olympics. In this case, Mexico filled those placeswith goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (35 years old), midfielder Luis Romo (26 years old) and striker Henry Martin (28 years old).
On the other hand, Chicharito hasn’t played with the Mexican national team since a controversial episode in 2019. The press reported that Chicharito and other players went partying without the consent of the coaching staff during an international window.