After his brace helped deliver a 3-1 road victory over the Portland Timbers at Providence Park Sunday afternoon, LA Galaxy star Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez has been named MLS Player of the Week presented by Continental Tire for Week 5 of the 2022 season.
The Galaxy's "smart choice" got the fireworks started early, striking for a ninth-minute opener that gave LA a lead they never relinquished. It was a vintage finish from Mexico's all-time leading goalscorer, as Hernandez made a devastating juke to shed his defender before meeting Samuel Grandsir's cross with his leg fully outstretched and converting an acrobatic first-time shot.
With the Galaxy protecting a 2-1 lead after Portland's Bill Tuiloma netted an own goal and then pulled one back with a 51st-minute free kick, Hernandez struck again just before the hour mark to seal the result. It was another classic Chicharito finish – an unstoppable low, driven left-footed strike from inside the area as set up by Raheem Edwards.
The Week 5 accolade continues a strong start to the season for Hernandez, who has picked up right where he left off after racking up 17 goals in 21 games during the 2021 campaign.
He's scored four times in five games this year, helping the Galaxy win three of their first five matches to take third place in the Western Conference standings before hosting LAFC for Saturday's El Trafico (7:30 pm ET | ESPN, ESPN Deportes).
This is the fourth time Chicharito has taken home Player of the Week honors since his arrival to MLS. He also garnered the award in Weeks 1, 2 and 10 of the 2021 campaign.
The MLS Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of the vote. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio and online media.
