Fans hysterically extend their arms through a metal fence.

They reach out, faces pressed against the fence, with posters, T-shirts, magazines, photographs, soccer balls, jerseys and anything else in hand so they could wave at the object of their desire.

Anything to get his attention.

Women and little girls scream as Manchester United's Javier "Chicharito" Hernández makes his way to the fence.

He poses for pictures and autographs whatever is in his path after a short practice with the Mexican national team. one of a pop star coming out of his tour bus.

Hernández has rapidly reached stardom in the soccer world. The 5-foot-9 (1.75-meter), 22-year-old striker, with a buzz cut and a baby face doesn't appeared bothered with having to attend to the fans.

That tells us something about "Chicharito," or "Little Pea" in Spanish, in reference to being the son of Javier Hernández Gutierrez, who was nicknamed "Chicharo" because of his green eyes.

It tells us that Hernández has suddenly become one of Mexico's most iconic personalities and one of the world's most popular players on the world's most popular club. And there are good reasons why.

Hernández has brought a spark to Mexico. He is the true striker the national team has been looking for the past decade.

"Chicharito" has scored 14 times for Mexico, including two in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. But his 20 goals with Manchester United have captivated soccer fans. The club thinks enough of him that it sent a reporter and camera crew from a Manchester television show to follow him while he's with El Tri, as Mexico's team is called.

The crew followed Hernández during Mexico's mini-U.S. tour of exhibition matches against Paraguay and Venezuela in Oakland and San Diego in March.

"I am pleased and happy that a TV show has interest in me," Hernández said before the Venezuela match. "But right now I am 100 percent focused on being part of the national team."

Hernández returned to England to help the "Red Devils" clinch the Premier

championship and was an integral part of the team's run to the UEFA Champions League final. Manchester United lost to Barcelona in that match but "Chicharito" had already made his mark as an elite international player.

He is now back playing with Mexico for the Gold Cup, a 20-day tournament between teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean. Mexico opens Group A play Sunday against El Salvador at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mexico is the defending Gold Cup champion and desperately wants to win it again. The team wants a slot in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. And El Tri is hoping "Chicharito" can help them get there.

Hernández didn't play in the 2009 Gold Cup. He wasn't part of the roster. Many didn't even know who he was.

He was on Mexico's Under-20 World Cup team in 2007. It was the start of stardom. He joined the senior team in September of 2009 and went on to score six goals heading into the 2010 World Cup. Hernández scored twice in South Africa, including Mexico's only goal in a 3-1 loss to Argentina that eliminated El Tri in the second round for the fourth-straight time.

Mexico needs a shot of adrenaline to put to rest the second-round curse in the World Cup.

And Mexico thinks it has found it in Little Pea.

He can be the solution. But Mexico and the rest of the world almost didn't get to see "Chicharomania" explode.

The kid who was bred to be star -- his father and grandfather both were on World Cup rosters for Mexico and played for Chivas de Guadalajara -- almost quit the game two years before the World Cup.

He was tired of sitting on the bench at Chivas. He was frustrated and told his parents he would focus on his studies instead.

"I was very close," Hernández said. "Not really, really close. But really close."

His parents convinced him to stay on the team. By the following season, he blossomed into the player his lineage predicted he would become.

Manchester United's scouts noticed him. Alex Ferguson, the club's knighted manager, liked the reports on "Chicharito" and Manchester United offered him a contract shortly before the World Cup.

It was kept a secret.

He told only his parents and sister about the $10.5 million transfer offer. He didn't tell his grandfather, the 1954 World Cup star Tomás Balcazar.

In the first 24 hours after Manchester announced it had acquired him, the club's official website received 50,000 new registrations from Mexico.

His No. 14 jersey, with "Chicharito" instead of the "Hernandez" emblazoned across the shoulders, has become Man U's hottest-selling item. Sombreros are sold at Old Trafford stadium, where fans wear Pancho Villa mustaches and T-shirts with his face adorning 20-peso notes.

It is a phenomenon that couldn't come at a better time for Mexico.

Chicharito gives El Tri and an entire nation hope.

Mexico coach José Manuel "Chepo" de La Torre knows it. But he tries to keep the excitement under wraps.

"I am glad for what he has done in Europe," de la Torre said. "But here, we are all the same. We belong to the same team. No one is above the rest. No one is more important. The important thing is that we are together."

But fans know he is a star.

That's why Mexico's faithful roar when he takes the field. Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego erupted when his name was called during player introductions before the Venezuela exhibition in March.

The stands were littered with signs with his name. Flashes sparked every time he touched the ball. Fans waved signs, pictures, balls, jerseys and game programs. Anything to get the young star's attention.

ivan.orozco@sandiegored.com