Crew To Make DP Signing?

Various reports have the Columbus Crew about to ink a deal with Boca Juniors winger Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The Argentinian, about to turn 34 years old, has lost his starting spot with his domestic side and has said in the past he would like to go to another team where he could see more time on the pitch. MLS Underground reports that the deal would be for two years with a salary of $1-2 million/year. I'm not sure how that fits into Designated Player rules, which state that a DP contract must be for 1, 3, or 5 years, but it could be a 1-year contract with an option for another year.

TJ's take: Columbus finally makes a move into the DP market. Not sure if this one will pay off, but if it's only a one-year contract, I don't think it could hurt. I don't know much about Guillermo, but at 34, I'm not sure how much he's got left in his tank (in contrast to Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who still has a starting spot for Club America at 34), but if it's a flop, it's only for this year.

It must be much harder to convince a "name" player to come to Columbus as the city doesn't quite have the allure of maybe a New York, Chicago or Los Angeles. This could become a problem in a few years time if the big names are only willing to flock to the three major cities, as the rest of the league could be left wading through a lower tier of players if they want to use a DP.

Blanco Set To Play With Fire

It's about to be official: Cuauhtemoc Blanco will become the league's newest Designated Player signing when he inks a deal with the Chicago Fire tomorrow. The contract signing is expected to take place during the club's media luncheon at the Hilton Chicago at 10 a.m. CT.

Blanco is still under contract with Mexican side Club America and will be eligible to join the Fire after June 30. He was scheduled to meet with fans and sign autographs at Toyota Park this evening.

Blanco To Join Chicago

According to various sources, the Chicago Fire will be announcing their new signing on Tuesday: Cuauhtemoc Blanco. He will become the league's third Designated Player. Blanco is known as much for his fiery personality as he is for his skill with the ball. He has had knee problems recently, but appears to be back at full-strength.

The 34-year-old Club America and Mexican National Team star will likely be joining the Fire at the end of the current Mexican First Division season, which wraps at the end of April.

Fire GM Guppy Traveled To Mexico

John Guppy, the Chicago Fire general manager, reportedly took a trip to Mexico over the weekend. According to a source, he visited Pachuca, where Cuauhtemoc Blanco's Club America side took on Pachuca on Sunday. Blanco has been rumored to be the target of the Fire's designated player slot and it appears more likely than not that he will be in a Fire uniform at some point this year.

He is currently the second-leading scorer for Club America with four goals. According to The Red Card's Luis Arroyave, Blanco is still one of the Mexican league's most popular as well as one of its most dangerous forwards, despite his advanced age of 34.

Earlier reports have placed his salary demands in the $1.5 million - $2.0 million range.

Blanco Update

SoccerAmerica.com says negotiations are going very well between the Chicago Fire and Cuauhtemoc Blanco - so well that the two sides are discussing length of contract and salary terms. According to a source close to the negotiations, Blanco wants between $1.5 million and $2 million per year and also wants more than a one-year deal.
At 34, a long-term contract may be a risk, but Blanco's appeal would likely help ticket sales and would add a personality to MLS that precious few could match, good or bad. Since he is still with Club America, Blanco would most likely not join the Fire until after the secondary transfer window opens on June 15th, but it sounds like MLS is pushing to get this deal done.

From Soccer America: "MLS and its marketing arm, SUM, are determined to have Blanco play in the United States this summer - either in the Super Liga competition with Club America, or in MLS with the Fire."

My take: Love him or hate him, Blanco is a polarizing figure that can evoke emotions from even casual soccer fans - both because of his skills and his alleged "dirty" tactics on the pitch. Even at 34, he's got the skills to compete and excel in MLS, if his work ethic is good. At $2 million/year, he would provide instant name recognition among Hispanics in the Chicago area.

I'm not sure Chicago, with or without Blanco, is going to be contending for much this year. They DO have a beautiful new soccer-specific stadium - Toyota Park - and there is a strong core fanbase that AEG should focus on growing by putting a quality soccer team on the pitch consistently.

Fire After Blanco?

A report has surfaced claiming that the Chicago Fire are contempleting making an offer to Mexican attacker Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Blanco, 34, is a veteran on the Mexico National Team, scoring 30 goals in 82 appearances for his country. He currently plays for Club America.

Blanco was controversially left out of the squad for the 2006 World Cup, but has since returned and was in the lineup last month when the U.S. National Team defeated Mexico, 2-0 in Arizona.

U.S. vs Mexico Tonight!

The U.S. men's national team will take on Mexico tonight in Glendale, Arizona. The 62,000-seat University of Phoenix Stadium is expected to be overflowing with fans for the first meeting between the teams since 2005. Though it is only a "friendly" there is no love lost between the two teams. "I don't have friendly matches, much less against them (the U.S.)," Mexico forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco said during a new conference in Mexico recently.

Each side is being led by a new coach, with this being Hugo Sanchez's first go-round with Mexico. Bob Bradley is at the helm of his second game since replacing Bruce Arena - on an interim basis; Bradley's boys defeated Denmark at the Home Depot Center last month. Neither coach can afford a loss in this highly-publicized (at least in Mexico) match-up. The U.S. has come away with a win in seven of the past 10 matches between the two teams since 2000. The last meeting was held in September 2005, with the U.S. claiming a 2-0 victory in Columbus, Ohio.

Bradley has named an MLS-heavy roster for the match, with only eight players that have had previous experience against the Tricolor. Several European players will also suit up for the U.S., including Carlos Bocanegra, Tim Howard, Bobby Convey, and the newly-transferred Clint Dempsey.

My prediction is a 2-1 win for... the U.S., of course.

The match will be televised on ESPN2 and Univision beginning at 9 p.m. ET, with kickoff slated for 9:25 p.m.