Mexico forward Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez is ready to get down to business in Ohio, where he hopes he can help his side to its first win in the state.
El Tri open the final round of World Cup qualification Friday against the rival United States in Columbus, and Hernandez said he and his fellow Europe-based players have arrived focused and in good form.
"It's time to to win," Hernandez told Esto. "We come in really concentrated and with a lot of matches played."
Hernandez and the other "Europeos" flew straight from the old continent to Columbus without stopping in Mexico with manager Juan Carlos Osorio's men facing two away contests to open the Hex. While Mapfre Stadium (formerly known as Crew Stadium) has been a house of horrors for past iterations of Mexico, the Bayer Leverkusen striker believes that this group can ignore the mystique and get a victory.
"It's a difficult place. We know what has happened here, but we've come to get the win and to end this streak," he said. "We want to win to start qualification on the right foot."
The match is set to kick off at 8:01 p.m. ET on Friday. Mexico then travels to Panama to close out its 2016 slate.
