The return of Chicharito dominates as Manchester United aim to end tour with Chivas win

Chivas Guadalajara v Manchester United, Pre-Season Friendly, July 30, 2010

Manchester United complete their 2010 summer tour on Friday night as the Red Devils travel from North to Central America to take on Mexican powerhouse Chivas Guadalajara.

(Manchester United are 3.50 to win the 2010/11 Premier League, 1.72 to finish in the top two.)

While the high-profile friendly was organised months ago to coincide with the opening of Chivas brand new stadium, Estadio Chivas, all the immediate pre-match talk has centred on new Manchester United forward Javier Chicharito Hernandez who transferred to the Premier League at the start of the summer from the Mexican powerhouse. (Javier Chicharito Hernandez is 67.00 to be the 2010/11 Premier League top goalscorer.)

Being a Chivas fan from birth, Chicharito will begin the first half lining up for current employers Manchester United while in the second half hell don the Chivas shirt.

Chicharitos homecoming has been spiced up by Uniteds last pre-season friendly against the MLS All-Stars. Having squeezed past the Philadelphia Union 1-nil and then losing to 2-1 to the Kansas City Wizards, United returned to form against the best of the American league as they ran out convincing 5-2 winners. More specifically for Hernandez, the Mexican received his Manchester United debut and he capped it by immediately breaking his goalscoring duck with a tidy lob.

While Chicharito remains a newcomer for United fans, the Chivas faithful are all too familiar with his attacking prowess. After bursting onto the scene with a goalscoring debut for Chivas back in 2006, it wasnt until the start of the 2009/10 season that Chicharito really began motoring. He scored 11 goals in 17 matches during the Apertura tournament (the first half of the season), leading C! hivas to the playoffs, and was also named as a candidate for Striker of the tournament. Then in the Clausura (second half of the season), Hernandez played 28 games, scoring 21 goals with one assist to boot.

Although Chicharito is the big pre-match talking point, the rest of the Manchester United squad will be eager to prove themselves as the new season draws ever closer.

Edwin van der Sar should receive some more playing time as he regains his match sharpness in goal, while defenders Rafael, Fabio, Chris Smalling, Richie De Laet, Wes Brown and Jonny Evans - who, as a unit, have looked shaky on occasion this summer - try to prove themselves worthy of being first-teamers this year.

Whether Manchester Uniteds boys can become men also plays out in midfield. Darron Gibsons sparkling free-kick against the MLS All-Stars was more evidence that the Irishman can make the step up, while Tom Cleverley also showed his potential with his excellent solo goal in the match. On the wings, Gabriel Obertan has shown flashes of form this summer but arguably still lacks the consistency needed at the highest level, while Luis Nani has also had an okay pre-season without hitting many high notes.

Italian pretty-boy Federico Macheda did his cause no harm whatsoever bagging a brace against the All-Stars, and it wouldnt be surprise to see him partner Chicharito from the get-go. With substitutions though an inevitability, Dimitar Berbatov will be hungry to score from open play for the first time this summer while Mame Biram Diouf will want to prove Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was right in suggesting that the Mancunians snap him up last term.

As United continue their pre-season preparations, Chivas are already back in the swing of things following the resumption of the Mexican league last weekend. A disappointing home draw with Puebla in the opening weekend of the season was followed up by a 1-all draw with Universidad de Chile in the Copa Libertadores semi-final first-leg last Wednesday night.

With the semi-fina! l second -leg just around the corner, expect Chivas to enter the friendly with Manchester United with their foot slightly off the gas. The last thing the Mexicans want is for one of their star players to pick up an injury at this crucial stage of the season.

With a very young squad to begin with, Chivas may field a host of 20 to 21-year-olds against United. Of note Michel Vasquez is a tall, strong striker, while burgeoning playmaker is Alberto Medina is the new number ten at the club. Omar Arellano, a relative elder statesman at 23, scored midweek in the Libertadores and should start again in the attack, while Xavier Baez is a midfielder with a fierce strike and international defender Miguel Angel Ponce is the rising star in the defence.

Considering their respective timetables, Chivas, who finished last season as Mexican runners-up, should be further along fitness-wise than their Manchester counterparts. Whether that will give them the edge when the whistle blows though remains a doubt however as the Copa Libertadores is now the clubs focus.

101gg predicts: Chivas Guadalajara 2 - Manchester United 2


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