Midweek Play: 10/29 - 10/31

Javier Hernandez puts in a dazzling start in the Capital One Cup and Andres Guardado will miss three weeks after picking up a hamstring tear as we focus on midweek action for Mexicans abroad:

Liga BBVA

Andres Guardado's Valencia allowed 2 second-half goals to fall 1-2 against Almeria, but the bigger story is the torn hamstring that will sideline Guardado for the next three weeks.  Guardado started at LB for Valencia before being subbed at 41' after picking up the injury.  It has been a difficult year for Guardado, who has lost his once-assured starting spot at LW on El Tri after a run of bad form, and was not even called up for the last Hexagonal qualifiers under then-manager Victor Manuel Vucetich.

Elsewhere in La Liga, Carlos Vela and Real Sociedad blew a 2-goal lead in the final 15 minutes and nearly lost were it not for the heroics of Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who saved a penalty in stoppage time to preserve a 2-2 tie.  Vela assisted on the first goal with a classy through-ball finished by Frenchman Antoine Griezmann at a very tight angle.

Last, Giovani Dos Santos' and Javier Aquino's 4th-place Villarreal squad dropped their Thursday match against 5th-place Getafe 2-0.  Villarreal maintains a 1-point lead over Getafe for 4th place.  Dos Santos and Aquino both started, but Aquino was substituted at halftime after Villarreal's Pablo

Iñíguez was red-carded at 39'.

Capital One Cup

Chicharito bagged two goals against Norwich City

In England's Capital One Cup, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez made the most of his starting opportunity, scoring two goals against Norwich City as Manchester United won 4-0.  United dominated the match from the outset, with Hernandez netting first from the penalty spot at 20' after Adnan Januzaj was taken down inside the box, and then again at 54' with a rebounded header after Norwich goalkeeper Mark Bunn saved his initial header.  Hernandez has now scored 3 goals in his last 2 matches for Manchester United.  Whether this will translate into more playing time for Chicharito remains to be seen.