There was no way those goals and that moment were rehearsed, planned or scripted. Say what you will about MLS pulling strings for the big boys—that was Inter Miami’s home opener. There was a crowd, and among the fans in the stands were co-owner David Beckham and his buddy Tom Brady. Nobody was going to just hand the narrative over to Javier Hernández. He’d have to earn it—seize it after what must have felt like an endless stretch of failure and misfortune. And so he did.
The sincerity of LA’s reaction to his two goals, the celebration following a 3–2 win and his tears in the postgame interview spoke to the genuineness of the occasion.