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===United States, Major League Soccer division===
===United States, Major League Soccer division===
On April 2, 2007, Blanco ventured on to the Major League Soccer in the United States, and signed with Chicago Fire. He was welcomed by 5,000 fans at [[Toyota Park]] as he conducted interviews with the media, signed autographs and greeted with fans. He told fans, "I am coming to [[Chicago]]", "I am very happy and will give 100 percent for Chicago to be in the final. I look forward to working with this group of players to bring a championship to Chicago, a community that has always supported me, in good times and in bad times. I hope to bring great satisfaction to all of you."
On April 2, 2007, Blanco ventured on to the Major League Soccer in the United States, and signed with Chicago Fire. He was welcomed by 5,000 fans at [[Toyota Park (Bridgeview)|Toyota Park]] as he conducted interviews with the media, signed autographs and greeted with fans. He told fans, "I am coming to [[Chicago]]", "I am very happy and will give 100 percent for Chicago to be in the final. I look forward to working with this group of players to bring a championship to Chicago, a community that has always supported me, in good times and in bad times. I hope to bring great satisfaction to all of you."


Blanco played his first match against [[Scotland|Scottish]] club [[Celtic FC]]. He scored the first goal of the game in a drawn match. Blanco's first season with Chicago achieved him success, as he scored 4 goals and had 7 assists in 14 regular season games as he helped the club reached the M.L.S. Playoffs. He was later voted as a finalist for both the M.V.P. and Newcomer of the Year awards in 2007.<ref name="mls"> {{cite web | title= MLSnet.com: Press release | work= 2007 MLS award finalists & announcement schedule | url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20071029&content_id=126642&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp |accessdate= October 29 | accessyear= 2007}} </ref>
Blanco played his first match against [[Scotland|Scottish]] club [[Celtic FC]]. He scored the first goal of the game in a drawn match. Blanco's first season with Chicago achieved him success, as he scored 4 goals and had 7 assists in 14 regular season games as he helped the club reached the M.L.S. Playoffs. He was later voted as a finalist for both the M.V.P. and Newcomer of the Year awards in 2007.<ref name="mls"> {{cite web | title= MLSnet.com: Press release | work= 2007 MLS award finalists & announcement schedule | url=http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20071029&content_id=126642&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp |accessdate= October 29 | accessyear= 2007}} </ref>

Revision as of 11:17, 24 March 2008

Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Personal information
Full name Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker and Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Chicago Fire
Number 10
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of February 5, 2008

Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (born January 17, 1973 in Mexico City), commonly known as Cuauhtémoc Blanco, is a Mexican international football striker, who currently plays for Chicago Fire in the United States Major League Soccer division; and for the Mexico national football team.

Biography

Mexican First League Division

Blanco made his debut in the Primera División de México (Mexican First League Divsion) in 1990 at the age of 17 with Club América. In 1997, he was recruited to play with Necaxa, and returned two years later to play for Club América. In 2000, Blanco was transferred to Real Valladolid in Spain where he played for two years in the La Liga (The Spanish League) before returning back to Club América. In the 2004 South American Copa Libertadores playoffs, Blanco and several Club Américan players were involved in a large fierce brawl with São Caetano players from Brazil in the Estadio Azteca (Aztec Stadium), as both team officials and spectators invaded the football field to joined the fight; after São Caetano players provoked the Club Américan team by flapping their arms like eagles. Club América went on to lose the match, while Blanco and several players escaped a one year ban.[1] However, Blanco was suspended and put on loan to CD Veracruz for six months before returning to Club América.

Blanco has played for the Mexican national football team in two World Cups including France '98 and Korea-Japan 2002, scoring a total of two goals. He was a member of the Mexican national team that won the Confederations Cup in 1999 where he was the tournament's leading scorer with 9 goals. He was awarded the "Golden Boot" and "Silver Ball" for outstanding player of the tournament. Blanco holds the record with Ronaldinho as the highest scoring players in the Confederations Cup with 9 goals. He is also one of the top scorers of the Mexican national team; nine goals behind the top scorer Jared Borgetti.

In May of 2005, Blanco won his first club championship as a player, leading Club América to its tenth league title, when América defeated the UAG Tecos by an aggregate score of 7-4 (1-1, 6-3). Blanco is one of Mexico's best attacking strikers and one of the league's most prolific scorers still in activity, with a 151 goals to his name. He has amassed 97 caps and scored 34 goals for his country.

Blanco was responsible for introducing a unique football technique known popularly in Mexico as the "Cuautemiña" (also known as the "Blanco Bounce" or "Bunny Hop"), whereupon Blanco would deviously secure the ball lodged between both feet to avoid tackling players, with the ball hidden away from the defenders. This skill was introduced in the 1998 World Cup in France, against South Korea. In the selection for the final 23 man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, former Mexican national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe left Blanco out of the team. While the ostensible reason is that Blanco was frequently injured and not in good form; some people considered this to be a consequence of the previous year's constant bickering and due to personal problems with the player.

United States, Major League Soccer division

On April 2, 2007, Blanco ventured on to the Major League Soccer in the United States, and signed with Chicago Fire. He was welcomed by 5,000 fans at Toyota Park as he conducted interviews with the media, signed autographs and greeted with fans. He told fans, "I am coming to Chicago", "I am very happy and will give 100 percent for Chicago to be in the final. I look forward to working with this group of players to bring a championship to Chicago, a community that has always supported me, in good times and in bad times. I hope to bring great satisfaction to all of you."

Blanco played his first match against Scottish club Celtic FC. He scored the first goal of the game in a drawn match. Blanco's first season with Chicago achieved him success, as he scored 4 goals and had 7 assists in 14 regular season games as he helped the club reached the M.L.S. Playoffs. He was later voted as a finalist for both the M.V.P. and Newcomer of the Year awards in 2007.[2]

Celebration

From early on in his career, Blanco celebrates scoring a goal by acting like the Prehispanic Tlatoani Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc, in order to show respect for the Mexican people, and their indigenous heritage.

Other notable celebrations

The feud between Blanco and former Mexican national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe has lasted for more than 10 years; since when inappropriate words were said before a match between Club América and CF Atlas, where Lavolpe was coach. Blanco scored a goal in that match and celebrated by intimidating and lying on the field just several meters infront of Lavolpe.

Controversy

Blanco has been involved in various controversial events in his career, establishing a reputation of being "loved" or "hated", with no middle opinions about him. Despite achieving tremendous amount of success in his career, Blanco has been subjected and talked about by the Mexican media for his anti-social and laid back personality, including his rivalry with Lavolpe; relationships with Mexican actress Galilea Montijo and several female personalities. In the football field, Blanco is known for provoking opponents and referees.

Blanco also punched ESPN reporter David Faitelson in his locker room in a match between Club América and CD Veracruz in the Luis Pirata Fuente Stadium; prompting T.V. Azteca to start a feud with Blanco.

Honors

Club Honors

Mexico Club America

International Honors

Mexico Mexico

Individual Honors

See also

References

  1. ^ "Soccernet.espn.go.com". America appeal against Blanco ban. Retrieved June 4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "MLSnet.com: Press release". 2007 MLS award finalists & announcement schedule. Retrieved October 29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Cuauhtémoc Blanco.
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