Hernandez hurts United

• Melayusentiasa

  31 Jul 10, 15:03

  

  Javier Hernandez celebrates after scoring for Chivas against Manchester United

  
  

  Manchester United signing Javier Hernandez scored against his new team while playing the first half for old club Chivas Guadalajara as the Mexican side won 3-2 in Friday night's friendly.

  
  

  Sir Alex Ferguson might not have been too bothered to see Hernandez, who played for United in the second half, on the scoresheet, but the result would not have been so pleasing in his side's final match on their North American tour.

  Hernandez made an immediate impact as he netted after just eight minutes, to the delight of the crowd at the new Estadio Omnilife. Chris Smalling, another United new boy, levelled two minutes later but Adolfo Bautista re-established the lead for the hosts after 38 minutes and Hector Reynoso made it 3-1 just before the hour mark, before Nani pulled one back in the 79th minute.

  Hernandez, who has been given a hero's reception on his return to Mexico, was the centre of attention from the start and was given a standing ovation when his name was read out. And he rewarded the fans who had come to cheer him by becoming the first player to score at Chivas' new stadium, striking left-footed first time from Adolfo Bautista's chest-down to send it into the bottom right corner.

  But just two minutes later, Smalling rose at a corner to head the ball home and draw United level with his first goal for the club. United's players had surely been told to go easy on their new team-mate but they were not entirely reverent, as John O'Shea showed when he fouled Hernandez in midfield.

  Fabio had an effort well saved by Luis Michel after 23 minutes, but on the whole it was the Mexicans who were playing the better football. And they went ahead when Alberto Medina's centre was played Reynoso to Bautista who finished right-footed. Paul Scholes ensured his own little bit of history five minutes before the break as, fittingly, he picked up the first booking in the life of the new stadium.

  Hernandez swapped teams at half-time, replacing Dimitar Berbatov in the United line-up. But he could do nothing to improve their fortunes as Reynoso headed home from Michel Vazquez's corner. Nani did pull one back late on after good work from Tom Cleverley, but there was still time for Juan Antonio Ocampo to hit the post.