FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template
When Mexico needed a goal in last year’s Copa America, Luis Hernandez was not to be found wanting, scoring six times to lead his countrymen to third place in the tournament.
But what Mexicans earnestly want to know is can Hernandez’s Copa form run over into the World Cup in France this summer ? The 29-year-old, who plays his club football for Necaxa after an unhappy spell in Argentina with Boca Juniors, was the star of the show in Bolivia last summer as he outscored even Ronaldo.
But doing it on the world stage is different and Hernandez bears the dead weight of huge expectations as Mexico enter their 11th finals with the intention of sweeping aside South Korea, Holland and Belgium. An irregular starter in the qualifiers, when he scored twice in six games, Hernandez formed an effective partnership with emerging star Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the Gold Cup in February, where both shaped a fine victory over the United States.
Hernandez hit the winner as Mexico claimed their third straight CONCACAF Gold Cup crown before a 91,000 crowd in Los Angeles, ending as top scorer in that event too. And his recent arrival at Necaxa, where Blanco also plays his club football, could mean that the Mexicans have a deadly duo in the making.
Yet they have never shone in Europe and Hernandez, now one of the more experienced players in the squad with nigh on 40 caps, has to assume a large amount of responsibility while firing the goals to muster sufficient points to see off Group E opponents Holland, Belgium and South Korea.