The El Trafico derby between Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles FC this weekend will certainly draw a lot of attention. Not only we’re talking about one of the most heated rivalries in MLS, but also a game between title contenders.
Steve Cherundolo’s men are in control of the Western Conference standings with 13 points, while Greg Vanney’s boys are only four points shy of the archrivals in third place of the table.
On top of that, this will be the first time that Chicharito Hernandez and Carlos Vela face each other in Major League Soccer. Both have been close friends from their time in the Chivas academy and later in the Mexican national team, so it’s definitely going to be special. However, the former Manchester United man made clear he won’t let the relationship affect his play.
Chicharito Hernandezsets sights on winning El Trafico with LA Galaxy
“I love him, I admire him, but then when the whistle goes, he’s no one for me,” Chicharito saidabout Vela in a press conference, as quoted by Cesar Hernandez of ESPN. “We need to win.”
Carlos Vela and Chicharito Hernandez in the 2018 World Cup. (Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
“I think that’s wrong, it’s LAFC against LA Galaxy,” Chicharito said about the attention drawn by his duel against Vela. “He’s a very top player and I’m a top player, but Douglas Costa is over there [at Galaxy training], [Brian] Rodriguez is over there [at LAFC], we need to be respectful in that sense. I think only [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo can play by themselves and win championships and win games.”
Chicharito’s comments have only fueled the expectation around this derby. Now, it will be even more interesting to see how inspired he is when he faces Carlos Vela for the first time since they moved to the US.
