Hernandez is heading for Melbourne, and the Victory is heading for China

It’s official: Carlos Hernandez is coming to Melbourne

The Fox (as he is known in Costa Rica) will be filling the void left by Fred’s departure. He has big shoes to fill, but it sounds like he has the feet to fill them. Ernie Merrick says he’s “a player of enormous pedigree who is still yet to reach his prime.” And hey, if Merrick says it, I’m going to believe him.

Unfortunately, Hernandez won’t be joining the Victory squad in time for next month’s fixtures against the Chinese national team (July 4) and Tianjin Teda F.C. (July 7). Tianjin Teda consistently finishes in the top half of the Chinese Super League, looking to do one better this year under the coaching of experienced Czech coach Jozef Jarabinsky: suffice it to say that they will be fierce competitors.

Fiercer still will be the Chinese national team, for whom the game against Melbourne Victory will be their final preparation for the Asian Cup. Pitted against a Chinese side trying to instill its millions of fans with steadfast belief on the eve of Asia’s premier football competition… Merrick must be licking his chops.

The China tour is going to be valuable experience for the Victory squad. Last year’s near-perfect A-League campaign was preceded by a series of friendlies against local Victorian teams, as well as the North Queensland Cup and the regular pre-season cup. It stands to reason that two games against such high calibre competitors will provide for an even more thorough testing of Melbourne’s capabilities. Not only that, but the opportunity to play in China prior to 2008’s Asian Champions League campaign offers the team a chance to prepare itself for the dynamics of international competition.

But that’s a long way off. For now, let’s make life hard for China’s finest.