Mexican Star Blanco Is Red-Hot for Fire

“Combined with new head coach Juan Carlos Osorio and several other roster additions, Blanco helped resuscitate the Fire’s season; after winning four times in 16 games without Blanco, Chicago won four of his first seven games and has now moved into playoff position. The 34-year-old had either a goal or an assist in four of his first five league games. He was named the grand marshal of Chicago’s Mexican Independence Day Parade, an event that draws hundreds of thousands of spectators. And, last week, he received the ultimate honor: ESPN introduced a “Blanco Cam” during its Thursday night telecast.

“He’s just helped make us a more entertaining team in general, and I think soccer fans, no matter where they’re from, are appreciating that,” said John Guppy, the team’s president and chief executive. “We’ve been thrilled in every regard since he arrived. His performance on the field, everyone sees that. His contributions in the locker room as a teammate have been tremendous. . . . Whether it be fans, the media, corporate sponsors or the community in general, he’s raised our profile. All of the things that you would like to have a designated player deliver to a team, he has delivered in spades.”"

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