Though CUAUHTEMOC BLANCO isn’t a pop-culture deity like David Beckham, he’s a star who’s making his mark in Chicago

“In Mexico, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the Fires new superstar, is known by many names: the Humpback, the White Shark, the Eagle of Fire. But to most Chicagoans, he’s the Mexican guy with the unpronounceable name who’s supposed to help save Major League Soccer, which has been limping along since its founding in 1994.

Preceded by his on-field bad-boy reputation, Blanco generated unexpected buzz in April when his three-year, $8.1 million contract was announced. Even more when he came on the field in the 78th minute during the sold-out Mexico-USA match on June 24 at Soldier Field in the Gold Cup tournament. Though he didn’t have a chance to break out his trademark Blanco Bounce and the crowds Blanco-centric adulation and thundering chants of Me-xi-co weren’t enough to overcome the United States 2-1 victory, it marked the countdown to his late-July Fire debut.”

Comments are closed.