Columbus Crew striker Juan ‘Cucho’ Hernandez performed a big half in his facet’s Leagues Cup victory over LAFC and he might very effectively make a run on the MLS MVP award within the ultimate stretch of the common season.
Hernandez was instrumental within the Crew lifting their second piece of silverware underneath head coach Wilfried Nancy, bagging 4 targets through the competitors whereas main the road. The previous Watford participant stepped up within the ultimate by bagging a brace to to assist the Crew recover from the road in entrance of their supporters.
Whereas gamers like LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, FC Cincinnati’s Lucho Acosta and Chicho Arango will doubtless be the favorites for the MVP award, Hernandez seems set to make a run at it to additional show why his Leagues Cup run may very well be a platform for taking residence the league’s most useful participant award.
If Hernandez is to take residence the MVP award, he’ll need to proceed to bag targets because the workforce resumes league play this weekend.
Fortunately for Hernandez, Nancy has the Crew arrange completely to ship loads of possibilities for his or her talisman. With fellow attacking gamers like Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez and Dylan Chambost alongside full-backs DeJuan Jones, Max Arfsten and Mohamed Farsi, Hernandez can proceed to count on to obtain loads of service up entrance and middle whether or not it is by means of the center or within the air through crosses.
If Hernandez is ready to bag a brace within the ultimate in opposition to one of many tightest defenses in LAFC, then he should not have any downside including to his aim tally as the rest of the season unfolds in opposition to sub-par defenses.
The Crew presently sit in third place within the Jap Convention desk with 49 factors from 25 matches performed. Nancy’s facet could be too far out of the image for the Supporters’ Defend, however they’re nonetheless very a lot on for a top-four end within the division within the ultimate stretch.
Columbus are all set to tackle Toronto FC, Orlando Metropolis, DC United and New England Revolution earlier than their common season concludes — all 4 groups have conceded over 40 targets this time period with DC main the group of workforce with 54.
Hernandez has already managed 13 targets this season which is just 4 behind first-placed Christian Benteke and Arango. Ought to he go on to get on the scoresheet in opposition to the abovementioned groups to work towards the Golden Boot, it will solely strengthen his case for the MVP award.
Sunday evening’s brace from Hernandez wasn’t the primary time that he put in a shift in a giant match for the Crew.
Flashback to December 2023 in MLS Cup in opposition to LAFC, Hernandez opened the scoring within the first half by slotting residence a penalty kick previous Maxime Crepeau. When Hernandez has been on the the pitch for the Crew in a ultimate underneath Nancy, they’ve managed to win two out of three finals performed — with Hernandez scoring within the two wins.
Whereas MLS Cup will definitely be the aim for Hernandez and Co., they nonetheless have a handful of massive matchless to come back earlier than the top of the season in opposition to New York Crimson Bulls, FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami and NYCFC — they usually’ll want their beginning striker to be match and firing to proceed their spectacular run.
