YO – no time to dwell on the fact that we’ll be watching MLS-era Kaká instead of Neymar at the Copa Centenario this summer, because Javier “Chicharito” Hernández *will* be in attendance!
According to a phone conversation between Chicharito and an LA Times reporter, the man on a goal-scoring binge for Bayer Leverkusen will be stateside this summer.
“The Mexican federation wants me to go to the Copa América,” Chicharito explained. “It’s not only my decision. It’s like 50-50, the decision. The federation wants me to go to the Copa América and I decided to go to the Copa América.”
He went on to clarify that the decision does not correlate with a lack of interest in Rio 2016: “Not because I don’t want to go to the Olympics. It’s because it’s the best for … my club, for me and for the federation.”
Bayer Leverkusen – which currently sits third in the Bundesliga, two points clear of Hertha Berlin – will earn an automatic UEFA Champions League berth if they can manage to maintain their form. Fourth place on the flip-side would equal playoffs and competition during Olympic crunch time.
“The most important thing here is what my club as well wanted. If we finish fourth, I cannot go to the Olympics. So it’s not my decision. And if we finish third, the thing is I need to do preseason.”
#Chichadios is no doubt still feeling salty about Manchester United refusing to release him during London 2012 time (you know, when his squad went on to take gold), but this does seem like the most logical decision.
For now, our dude is focused on what’s in front of him: “The Copa América and the Olympics are very far [off]. You need to be living in the present. The present right now is Bayer Leverkusen.”