For years, Cuauhtemoc Blanco has been Chivas de Guadalajara's Public Enemy No. 1. As the icon for rivals Club America, Blanco has had both successes and failures against los rojiblancos.
Now, Blanco will introduce himself to a whole new audience. Blanco will visit The Home Depot Center for the first time as a member of the Chicago Fire on Saturday as Chivas USA will play host to Blanco's new team.
"I respect him a lot. I admire him as a player. He's one of the best Mexican players in this moment," Chivas USA midfielder Francisco Mendoza said. "Now that we're hosting him, that is motivation for us. We are going to come out and set the tone in order to stay atop the standings."
Entering the match, Chivas USA sit alone in first place in the Western Conference table. With a playoff spot already locked up, Chivas USA need points nonetheless to try and fight for the Supporters' Shield as well as home-field advantage in the Western Conference.
Points, not previous relationships, are what drives Chivas USA, said skipper Claudio Suarez.
"As one of the few Mexicans in this league, I'm happy he is doing well," Suarez said. "But now that we're playing against one another, my only desire is to get the three points."
However, Blanco is likely to cause a stir in what is one of Chivas USA's most anticipated matches of the year. His mere presence alone attracts people.
"He's a fan favorite," Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein said. "He'll step on the field and people cheer him and love him."
Bornstein has seen a similar type of presence from a player before in his brief career.
"The only other person I've seen to have that affect is Paco Palencia last year. They've played together those two guys and somehow they've figured out how to woo the fans and get them to come out for games."
Blanco has been an instrumental figure in Mexican soccer history. In 2001, many Mexican soccer supporters credit him for guiding Mexico into the 2002 World Cup. Blanco turned Mexico's disastrous qualifying campaign around when he bagged a brace in a critical 2-1 win at Jamaica following nearly one year out of action because of torn knee ligaments.
On the domestic level, Blanco won a pair of championships with Club America, one of Mexico's most popular clubs.
Ironically, The Home Depot Center has played a role in his America lore. Following the Clausura 2004 season, Blanco left Club America after a reported falling out with club officials. He rejoined America after one season with the Red Sharks, and his first match back in an America uniform was an InterLiga match at The Home Depot Center in January 2005.
He also played there in InterLiga earlier this year before deciding to join Chicago following the Clausura 2007 season.
Having Blanco a part of MLS has been a good thing, Suarez said.
"I was surprised when he decided to come," Suarez said. "I didn't believe that he would come and play here. Afterward, I felt that he wouldn't adapt well but he looks very comfortable. We've heard that his teammates are happy with him."
For the better part of a decade, Suarez and Blanco were teammates with the Mexican national team. Suarez and Blanco were on Mexico's 1998 World Cup team and also played in Confederations Cups, Gold Cups and Copas America together.
The two also played a great deal of games as rivals. Suarez and Blanco never played on the same club team but the two have had memorable games against each other. The last time the two played a league match against each other was in 2005, when Suarez was a member of Tigres.
"It was an unforgettable match," Suarez recalled.
Suarez's Tigres side lost to Blanco's America team 3-0 in the first leg of the clubs' total-goals, quarterfinal series.
"We had to win 3-0 in Azteca. It seemed impossible but we went ahead 3-0, they scored one but we scored at the end and we won," Suarez said. "That was the last time I faced Cuauhtemoc. There was one play he had on a counterattack. Cuauhtemoc went in alone on the goalkeeper but I ran back and got in his way. He tried to go around my mark but I didn't let him by. He made a bad touch and didn't get past. Had he scored there, that would have destroyed us.
"Our last meeting is certainly a good memory for me," Suarez said. "But now it's very different."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
