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You don't provoke Javier "Chicharito" Hernández. It is the lesson that a few San Jose Earthquakes fans learned Saturday night after deploying a tifo vs. LA Galaxy that ended up inspiring the striker to score a brace against them.
The supporter wanted to create a hostile environment for the LA Galaxy in a new edition of the Cali Clasico, unraveling a giant banner mocking them – and LAFC – with the message: "The LA Circus – Same clowns, different costumes."
El festejo era para los Ultras de San José por el Tifo que les pusieron antes del partido diciéndoles payasos junto al LAFC pic.twitter.com/aLezoXPIGX
— Carlos Yustis (@CarlosYustisTV) September 25, 2022
Chicharito scores a brace in response to a clown-inspired tifo
But instead of intimidating the opponent, the tifo fired them up for a 3-2 victory in which Chicharito's performance was crucial.
The Mexican striker scored the first goal of the match in the 12th minute with a rebound-assisted shot. It was not very clean but was enough for Chicharito, who celebrated imitating a clown in evident response to the tifo.
Chicharito finds the early opening goal for the @LAGalaxy! pic.twitter.com/thCtYFytlP
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 25, 2022
After Gastón Brugman 2-0, Chicharito was back on the scoreboard in the 69th minute. Hernández combined a perfect one-two with Efraín Álvarez before crossing the ball for a 3-0 that also made people wonder if Gerardo Martino is doing the right thing in the Mexican national team, leaving him out of the World Cup.
It was Chicharito's 17th goal of the season and his fourth brace in 2022.
The celebration? Like a clown, again.
ANOTHER ONE FOR CHICHARITO!
That's 3-0 in favor of the @LAGalaxy! pic.twitter.com/kwXKOafUQ6— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 25, 2022
After the game, the striker said explicitly that the clown-inspired tifo motivated him during the game.
"The best way to respond to a tifo like that is scoring two goals and celebrating like a clown," he said. "You know, sometimes people think that those kinds of stuff are going to put our confidence in ourselves down and they do completely the opposite. They motivate us, they motivate me at least, you know."
Finally, Chicharito ended up thanking San Jose Earthquakes fans.
"Thank you for the people to put that because that brought something else from me because now I had more desire to win and to get the three points," he said.
The win in the Cali Clasico allowed LA Galaxy to move up to fifth place in the Western Conference with 46 points, three more than Real Salt Lake, their next rival. A victory in that match will secure a playoff spot for the Angelinos.
