Since striker Cucho Hernandez arrived in Columbus in 2022, one of his goals has been to score on a bicycle kick.

Tuesday's MLS All-Star Skills Challenge at Lower.com Field might have been very different than a regular-season game, but it allowed Hernandez to prove he can make a bicycle-kick goal while facing a live goalkeeper.

"You know me, I always try to get it in games," Hernandez said. "I always say to my teammates and to the coach, 'It's coming.' I want to score one goal like this."

Overall, Hernandez participated in four of the five skill challenges, as the MLS All-Stars went head-to-head with Liga MX All-Stars. The winning team for each challenge earned a point, and Liga MX defeated MLS 3-2.

Going into Tuesday, Hernandez said he was especially excited to take part in the cross and volley challenge, in which goal-scorers show off their trick shots. With 60 seconds, players tried to make as many shots as possible against a live goalkeeper off passes crossed in by teammates. Scoring on a bicycle kick was worth the most points with 20. By comparison, a regular shot ranged from five to 15 points, depending on the number of touches taken before the goal.

Both the MLS and Liga MX teams had two groups go in this event, with Hernandez representing the MLS in the second-round group. Taking crosses from Portland Timbers' midfielder Evander and FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta, Hernandez kept attempting the bicycle kick until he finally hit the shot with 10 seconds left. At the end of the round, Hernandez had recorded 35 points.

"It was lucky," Hernandez said. "Because I did good chilenas (overhead kicks), but all the balls were in the middle. But it was fun with the fans. The important thing tonight was having fun."

What other MLS All-Star Skill Challenges did Crew striker Cucho Hernandez participate in?

Hernandez started his night in the shooting challenge, in which players attempted to hit 11 targets placed around the goalposts. Those targets were worth anywhere from two to 10 points. There was also a moving target worth 20 points, but no player hit that target on Tuesday.

Each of the six players in the challenge had 60 seconds to hit as many targets as possible. Of the three MLS players participating, Hernandez, Federico Bernardeschi of Toronto FC and Sergio Busquets of Inter Miami, Hernandez scored the highest, hitting seven targets for 47 points.

It was a strange sight for Crew fans in the second event, the touch challenge. Hernandez was partnered with the top scorer from Columbus' in-state rival, Acosta. It was another challenge where each team had two rounds, and in the second round, Hernandez and Acosta worked together for the first time in their MLS careers.

"He's good, he's a great guy," Hernandez said. "This is the good thing of football. When we play against, I think we hate, but it was fun (playing with him). ... I'm glad to be here with him."

The two received cross passes with the objective of putting the ball into a target modeled after a large Skee-Ball machine in three touches. Hitting the higher targets on the board earned players up to 20 points, and doing so with the specialty balls was worth double the points. Hernandez and Acosta finished with 66 points.

Every player participated in the final challenge of the night, the crossbar challenge. Hernandez took one long shot attempt to hit the crossbar and give MLS the victory, as the score was tied 2-2 in events, but he missed the mark. Liga MX was able to score before Hernandez got another chance.

Hernandez is one of the five Crew players on the MLS All-Star Game roster tomorrow night at Lower.com Field. Columbus' Wilfried Nancy is coaching the team.

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Cucho Hernandez hits bicycle kick during MLS All-Star Skills Challenge