Javier Hernandez Must Step Up to Push Mexico Through to World Cup Qualification

Better late than never for Javier Hernandez to make his presence felt for Mexico in the fourth round of World Cup qualification.

Mexico have a pivotal match on Friday night.

Their opponents are Panama, who are fourth in the group and level on points with El Tri. With the match in the Estadio Azteca, anything less than three points would be a national catastrophe, as the team is currently on the outside looking in on qualification.

A win would at the very least mean Mexico jump up to that fourth spot, which secures a playoff with New Zealand for a spot in the World Cup. El Tri could also get up to third, which means automatic qualification.

This is also the debut of Victor Manuel Vucetich. It's important for him to start strong, especially given the circumstances.

If Mexico are to come out with the full three points, Hernandez will have to play much better than he has arguably throughout the entire qualifying process. Since Mexico started the Hexagonal, he's scored just twice, both goals coming against Honduras back in March.

It's a particularly barren patch for a striker who's generally been very lethal for his national team, via Transfermarkt.

It's not as if Hernandez's production has fallen off a cliff, but those numbers do demonstrate that he hasn't been his usual self lately.

Chicharito is the best pure player on the team. Even without Hernandez getting regular first-team football at Manchester United and Oribe Peralta threatening for a starting place, the 25-year-old striker should remain one of the first names on the team sheet. However, his run of form with Mexico cannot be ignored.

You'll have a hard time winning when a key player is off his game. Those struggles only multiply when that player is your lone striker and expected to be the primary goalscorer.

Part of Hernandez's problems can be chalked up to Jose Manuel de la Torre's tactics. Under de la Torre, El Tri were a boring side, woefully lacking in creativity and adventure. While organized at the back, the midfield couldn't gain any fluidity.

As a result, Hernandez couldn't get any regular service. As a player who stays close to goal, Chicharito needs that service in order to thrive. He's not going to pick the ball up in midfield, run at the defense and score all by himself.

Hernandez is culpable for some blame, as well. When he has received the ball, more often than not, his touch has abandoned him. You don't see the predatory finisher that generally shows up for Manchester United. There have been some Mexico matches where you forget Chicharito was on the pitch; that's how little an impact he was able to have on the game.

This is a golden opportunity for him to make things right. He's playing in front of his home fans, and Mexico are in dire need of some dynamism up top.

If Hernandez continues to be off his game, there's little chance El Tri will be able to get the points necessary to claw their way back into the top four.