CHICAGO – Standing alone in a Soldier Field tunnel following Mexico’s 1-0 victory over Senegal in a international friendly last month, Cuauhtémoc Blanco cut a solitary figure.
Playing with his cell phone, the 37-year-old attacking midfielder – who electrified Mexico’s offense after entering the match in the 56th minute – raised his head only to speak with an attendant and sign an autograph for a fan.
He declined all requests for interviews. There will be no questions about a potential return to the Chicago Fire (where he played from 2007 to ‘09), Mexico’s World Cup chances or his thoughts on the evening’s match. Temo leaves the crowd of journalists – who were begging him for a sound bite, a quote, a thought, anything – disappointed.
Such is the enigmatic nature of Mexico’s most mercurial player. A star on the field and an icon off it, Blanco has lost a step (or two, or three) since he scored 31 goals in 31 games for Club América in 1999, but his crafty touch, his tremendous vision and his famed dribbling skills are all still there.
And his skill set – which has him headed to the third World Cup of his career this summer – is one reason why Temo’s decision to leave the Fire and join Mexican second-division club Veracruz this winter was the right move.
Blanco’s style of play (all about touch, nothing about speed) requires that he get constant game repetitions. At Veracruz, where he played 14 games and scored five goals from January to April, he got that. During the same time with the Fire, he would have played in one or two league matches. That simply wouldn’t have been enough time to properly prepare Blanco for this summer’s World Cup.
But why Veracruz? Wouldn’t Blanco have benefitted more by playing for a first-division team – like, say, América? Well, not entirely.
Sure, the level of competition would have been higher, but the added pressures and expectations that come with playing for a high-profile club likely would have distracted Blanco from his ultimate goal – staying in good form and good shape ahead of the World Cup. By going to second-division Veracruz, where he played for part of 2004, Blanco avoided the distractions of a bigger club all while getting the game reps he needed.
But regardless of what team he played for or what division he was in, it’s apparent that a move to Mexico was a natural fit for Blanco. Not only would he be returning home after three years in MLS, but Temo’s “second season” would end in April – just ahead of the opening of El Tri’s extended national-team camp.
Had he stayed in Chicago, you have to think that Blanco wouldn’t have been released to the National Team until May. That would have meant less time with El Tri which, in turn, means less time to gel with teammates, less time to re-familiarize himself with Mexico’s playing style and – most importantly – less time spent focused on the World Cup.
As for those who have concerns about Blanco having tired legs after being in season for the better part of an entire year, well, when does the man not have tired legs? He’ll be one of the slowest players on the pitch every time he steps on the field in South Africa. That would have been the case regardless of whether or not he played in an “extra” 14 games in Mexico’s second division this winter.
Fortunately for Mexico, the man they call Cuau doesn’t need speed to be effective. His cunning passes, deft touches, and crowd-pleasing Cuauhtemiñas don’t require Blanco to be fleet of foot. They do require him to be on form – something he is after his stint with Veracruz.
Would he have been playing well heading into the World Cup if he had stayed with the Fire? Maybe. But he probably wouldn’t be as sharp as he is now. And, as the two-time World Cup veteran fully knows, you have to be on your game to succeed on the globe’s biggest stage. He doesn’t need to talk to journalists to be reminded of that.
