The Kansas City Wizards’ signing of Chivas de Guadalajara legend Omar Bravo hasn't just made waves here in the USA.
The move to MLS of arguably the most prolific Mexican striker of his generation has also left an impact on the soccer establishment South of the Border.
“The Omar Bravo news was surprising and I would never have imagined it,” Morelia forward Miguel Sabah said. “This shows that MLS is growing in every respect. Omar did some great things with his clubs and national teams. Hopefully things go well for him and the rest of the Mexicans playing there. I think they will make it a more competitive league.”
Bravo is the Wizards’ second Designated Player in club history and, as such, he's expected to be a difference-maker both on and off the field.
“He is an interesting acquisition on the soccer side and at the box office,” Pachuca veteran Braulio Luna said. “I hope he succeeds so he can prove how much the Mexican player has evolved in recent years.”
US World Cup forward Hérculez Gómez, who is a former MLS player and now plies his trade at Mexico’s Pachuca, has a unique take on the move.
“MLS is a league where players can succeed and I think that Omar has what it takes to be successful,” Gómez said. “I think the arrival of more players like him is not only beneficial to American soccer, but also to Mexican soccer.”
Puebla midfielder Gabriel Pereyra thinks that players like Bravo and Nery Castillo prove to the world that MLS is committed to adding younger international stars in their prime.
Bravo, who joins fellow countrymen Rafa Márquez and Nery Castillo as MLS DPs, will have his work cut out for him to match the exploits of his predecessors Jorge Campos, Claudio Suarez, Luis Hernández and Cuauhtémoc Blanco.
“Hopefully they can continue generating excitement for the fans,” said Francisco Palencia, a former Chivas USA forward who is currently on the books at UNAM Pumas. “I know that just like we [other Mexican players] did prior to him, he will also look to do his best in MLS.”
