As delusional as someone thinking the Sox can make the playoffs this year, one could say the same thing about the Fire. Yet, in the space of a few weeks, the Fire vibe seems to have completely changed. The addition of Chatomec Blanco and Paulo Wanchope have turned the offense from totally dead to possibly super. In much the same way the Sox offensive could not do anything the entire first half of the year, the Fire featured the invisible O. It seemed they were lucky to score and ties were reasons for joy. To compare the Fire’s situation w/ another local team, the Bulls: the offense seemed to need a star go to scorer. Unlike the Bulls, the Fire are able to get such a player from another league- in this case the Mexican league. The ungainly hunchbacklooking of a player has had a great start.
Blanco’s first game with the Fire was an exhibition against Celtic of Scotland. In America for a preseason tour, Celtic is one of the most successful European sides. Many European teams now send their teams to sell the ‘teams brand name’ in America, especially for a 3-4 game preseason tour. The past several years have seen likes of such giants as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and now Celtic. There were many Celtic fans there - I’m used to hearing lots of Spanish and Polish accents in a Fire crowd- this was the first time I heard lots of Irish voices*. Although a little rusty, Celtic played well.
However, it was Blanco who was the center of attention to see what he could do- and very soon he was the center of attention because of what he as doing. A back heel pass here. A stop, switch feet, then short pass there. And he’s also a bull: his goal in the first half was due to his pushing his way through a Celtic defender before the shot.
The ball went constantly to Blanco, and it was great to see him play it out to the other players. The other major MLS signing this year, David Beckham, is famous for long seeking passes that amaze when they reach the players foot perfectly in stride; Blanco specializes in the dinky soft curving short ball- that amaze when they reach the players foot perfectly in stride. Both players make their teamates better with their dangerous play- thank God since the Fire really needed this. The skill level on offense has risen tremendously.
And the fans! By the 55th minute, they had seen enough. After a flurry in the Celtic area keyed by a soft Blanco pass- and after a spectacular back heel pass that led to another chance- and then after yet another impressive Blanco pass - Fire fans responded with two O’s in five minutes. He was taken out soon after, and with him went the fire offense. They tied 1-1.
Blanco’s next game was against F.C. Toronto. The last visit to Canada resulted in a 0-4 humiliation. But that was before Blanco. With passes crisper, runs run hard, and touches with that “touch of arrogance” that only a team playing with confidence has, the fire won 3-0. Blanco played a great role in the first goal with his perfect pass to Ivan Guerreo. Again, his presence makes the difference.
Saturday marked Blanco’s first MLS regular season home game, and it was a nice 20k+ crowd. Not only was it a filled stadium, but it was very Mexican flavored. As the Celtic crowd was flavored with brogues, this crowd featured Club America jerseys- the Mexican team that had retired Blanco’s # 10 last month. A nice touch was the split Fire/America jerseys, reminiscent of the split Mexico national team/Mexican team jerseys. Chants of “Chatomec” and “Burro”. Lots of Spanish.
Although he played well, the magic of the last two games was only in in flashes. I expected fireworks, because not only was Blanco on the field, but oft injured forward Chris Rolfe was back and Paulo Wanchope, the Fire’s newest signing, made his debut. Wanchope, who has played most of his career in England, was a star for costa Rica in last years World Cup. After a rocky relationship w/ his coach in Japan, he comes to the Fire to hopefully create a strong and fleet presence forward. With Blanco, Wanchope, and Rolfe playing on top, and the full return of midfielder Justin Mapp from national team duties, the Fire’s most glaring hole- the offense- hopefully will transform into its strength.
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*=they’re very popular in Ireland.
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