Manchester United's Javier Hernandez, right, vies for the ball against Blackburn's Gael Givet during their English Premier League soccer match at Ewood Park, Blackburn, England, Saturday May 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Tim Hales) NO INTERNET/MOBILE USAGE WITHOUT FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PREMIER LEAGUE (FAPL) LICENCE. CALL +44 (0) 20 7864 9121 or EMAIL info@football-dataco.com FOR DETAILS (AP2011)
A weekly recap of how Mexican internationals fared over the weekend.
One down, one to go for Chicharito.
Javier Hernández and his Manchester United teammates took a giant step in securing the Double by clinching the English Premier League crown on Saturday.
It wasn't the best game United has played this season, but a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers was good enough to secure a record 19th title and 12th in the EPL.
“A Double – I dream about that," Hernández told MUTV. "We’re working to win that game. Right now we can celebrate and then afterwards we need to work a lot.”
Hernández played a vital role, setting up the equalizing goal in the 73rd minute.
Taking a pass from Ryan Giggs, Chicharito was tripped by goalkeeper Paul Robinson in the penalty area before Wayne Rooney converted a penalty kick to equalize, his 15th goal this season.
Winning the league title was just another step in a dream season for Hernández, who has scored 20 goals.
“It’s unbelievable,” he told MUTV. “I never imagined. Of course, I imagined winning the Premier League, but I never imagined to play a lot of games and score a lot of goals and to be a part of this great team.”
United will complete the EPL season, hosting Blackpool on Sunday.
Gold Cup roster
Hernández was one of 23 players who was selected to the CONCACAF Gold Cup roster.
The roster included defenders Márquez (New York Red Bulls/U.S.), Francisco Javier Rodríguez (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Héctor Moreno (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands) and Carlos Salcido (Fulham, England), midfielders Efraín Juárez (Celtic, Scotland) and Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña, Spain) and forwards Giovani dos Santos (Racing Santander, Spain) and Pablo Barrera (West Ham United).
Many players were expected to report to the team’s training camp in Mexico City last Sunday. Márquez will join the team in Seattle on May 26, two days before El Tri takes on Ecuador in an international friendly at Qwest Field.
Hernández will join the side after the Champions League final. El Tri meets New Zealand in Denver on June 1.
The roster:
Goalkeepers: Jesús Corona (Cruz Azul, Mexico), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca, Mexico), Guillermo Ochoa (Club America, Mexico).
Defenders: Ricardo Osorio (Monterrey, Mexico), Edgar Dueñas (Toluca, Mexico), Jorge Torres Nilo (Tigres UANL, Mexico), Rafa Márquez (Red Bulls), Francisco Javier Rodríguez (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Héctor Moreno (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Carlos Salcido (Fulham, England).
Midfielders: Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul, Mexico), Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM , Mexico), Luis Ernesto Pérez (Monterrey, Mexico), Jesús Zavala (Monterrey, Mexico), Antonio Naelson Sinha (Toluca, Mexico), Ángel Reyna (Club America, Mexico), Efraín Juárez (Celtic, Scotland), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain).
Forwards: Aldo de Nigris (Monterrey, Mexico), Giovani dos Santos (Racing Santander, Spain), Javier Hernández (Manchester United, England), Pablo Barrera (West Ham United, England), Elías Hernández (Morelia, Mexico).
Jonathan dos Santos
Dos Santos made the most out of a rare opportunity to play with Barcelona's first team in its scoreless draw with Deportivo Coruña in Spain's La Liga on Sunday. Normally a midfielder with Barca's B side, dos Santos played on defense and impressed coach Josep Guardiola.
"Dos Santos was marvelous at full back, marvelous," Guardiola said. "He played a great game.”
On Wednesday, dos Santos helped Barcelona B come back twice from one goal deficits to record a 2-2 draw at Ponferradna in the Spanish Second Division on Wednesday. Dos Santos almost set up the winning goal late in the match as he sent a cross to the far post, but striker Nolito was just a fraction too late.
Barca will travel to Malaga on Sunday, while the B team is scheduled to play at Girona FC the same day.
Carlos Salcido
The left fullback helped Fulham rebound from a difficult mid-week defeat by Liverpool as the London side recorded a 2-0 away EPL win at Birmingham on Sunday. He was awarded a yellow card in the 63rd minute.
Salcido played the full 90 minutes in Fulham's 5-2 meltdown defeat to Liverpool last Monday. He did set up Fulham's second goal in the 85th minute. His pass into the penalty area was cleared to Steve Sidwell at the edge of the box and the midfielder scored.
Francisco Javier Rodríguez
Rodríguez played the entire 90 minutes for PSV Eindhoven in its scoreless draw at Groningen in its Dutch League season finale on Sunday. PSV (20-5-9, 69) took third place.
Pablo Barrera
Barrera did not dress for West Ham United for its 3-2 road loss at Wigan Athletic on Sunday. West Ham, which hosts Sunderland on Sunday, became the first team relegated from the EPL this season.
Andrés Guardado
The midfielder was deemed unfit to play for Deportivo Coruña in its scoreless draw with Barcelona in Spain's La Liga on Sunday. Deportivo, which is a point above the relegation zone, faces a must-win situation vs. Valencia on Sunday.
Carlos Vela
Vela did not dress for West Bromwich Albion's 1-0 home victory over Everton on Saturday. WBA plays at Newcastle United in its EPL season finale on Sunday.
Héctor Moreno
Moreno did not play for AZ Alkmaar in its 5-1 win over FC Utrecht in its season finale in the Dutch First Division on Sunday. AZ finished (17-9-8, 59) in fourth place.
Giovani dos Santos
Dos Santos did not dress for Racing's 2-1 defeat at Sporting Gijon in La Liga on Sunday. Racing hosts Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.
Rafa Márquez
The Red Bulls central defender took 13 corner kicks, but the team did not convert any of them in a 3-2 home loss to Chivas USA in Major League Soccer action on Sunday. The Red Bulls visit the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
Mariano Trujillo and Francisco Mendoza
Both came on as substitutes in Chivas' 3-2 upset of the Red Bulls on Sunday. Trujillo took over for the ailing Michael Lahoud in the 30th minute, while Mendoza replaced Jorge Flores in the 84th minute.
Chivas hosts the LA Galaxy on Saturday.
Omar Bravo
Bravo, who is recovering from a sports hernia, did not play for Sporting Kansas City in its 4-1 defeat at the Galaxy on Saturday. KC, which is playing its first 10 games on the road while waiting for its new stadium to be completed, plays at Seattle on Saturday.
MLS salaries
Márquez tops the MLS salary list among the nine Mexican players in the league, according to the MLS Players Union.
Márquez, captain of the Mexican National Team, will earn a base salary of $4.6 million this year and a guaranteed income of $4.6 million. The guaranteed salary includes bonuses.
No. 2 on the list, according to the MLSPU, is Chicago Fire midfielder-forward Nery Castillo with a base salary of $1.65 million and a guaranteed income of $2,038,062.50. Castillo’s numbers are a bit deceptive because he was loaned to the Fire from Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine).
The Fire then loaned Castillo to Aris FC (Greece).
The list of the nine Mexican player salaries (base salary listed first, guaranteed income second):
1. Rafa Márquez, New York Red Bulls, defender — $4,600,000, $4,600,000
2. Nery Castillo, Chicago Fire, midfielder-forward — $1,650,000, $2,038,062.50
3. Omar Bravo, Sporting Kansas City, forward — $120,000, $170,000
4. Francisco Mendoza, Chivas USA, forward — $55,000, $55,000
5. Mariano Trujillo, Chivas USA, midfielder — $99,225, $99,225
6. Rubén Luna, FC Dallas, forward — $55,000, $74,500
7. Bryan Leyva, FC Dallas, midfielder — $55,000, $70,833.33
8. Sergio Arias, Chivas USA, goalkeeper — $45,000, $45,000
9. Richard Sánchez, FC Dallas, goalkeeper — $32,600, $33,600
Coaches
Carlos de los Cobos
There's one Father's Day present that de los Cobos doesn't need – a tie. His Chicago Fire (1-3-5, eight points) played yet another draw in MLS, a 2-2 decision at Toronto FC. The Fire fought back from a two-goal deficit. Chicago play at the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.
Javier Aguirre
Aguirre, coach of Mexico's 2010 World Cup team, directed Real Zaragoza to a 2-1 La Liga loss at Real Sociedad on Wednesday before rebounding with a 1-0 home over Espanyol. Real (11-17-9, 42), which is in 18th place out of 20 teams, is trying to avoid relegation. The club plays at Levante on Sunday.
Michael Lewis, who has covered international soccer for three decades, is a frequent contributor to Fox News Latino. He can be reached at SoccerWriter516@aol.com.
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