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Blanco joins Mexican side Irapuato

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BY ADAM SERRANO

Mexican midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco has signed with Liga Ascenso side Irapuato, the midfielder announced on his website on Friday night. The midfielder had been linked with returning to the Chicago Fire.

"I will be playing in the next tournament for Irapuato," said Blanco. "I am very happy with this experience and to all the people of Irapuato I say that I will wear the shirt and will join in the search of promotion.

"Thank you to the teams that showed interest in me and out of respect for my new team there will be no further details of any offers that were presented to me. "

The Fire had hotly pursued the Mexican talisman and will be announcing a DP signing tomorrow during the club's Superliga match. 

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Are you disappointed that Blanco will not be returning to MLS? Hoping that he would team up with Nery Castillo on the Fire? Who would you like to see in a Fire uniform?

Share your thoughts below. 

Comments

  1. Pappa, Conde, and this year Mapp yes Mapp, Ward, Krol, Brown, and McBride are = or > Blanco. But whatever opinion any one has, Blanco is not in MLS, so it’s an off target point.

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  2. i think we need more mexican stars in our league. can you imagine if chivas usa was loaded with mexicans? it would bring a ton of extra interest to the league, not only in fans, but some added intrigue & drama to the matches. can u imagine the atmosphere you’d have at hdc for galaxy v chivas?

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  3. This has worked out well, because bringing Blanco back, all though he was great while he was with Chicago would not have been good. He is too old.

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  4. Totally agreed. Klopas I don’t think was a big fan of Blanco at the end. He didn’t push it until the playoffs last year. The Fire need defenders and a keeper that actually know where the ball is. It would help if the Fire could actually score, but right now the entire back line is in complete melt down mode. The Fire need to be honest and park Dykstra on the bench.

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  5. My impression of all this was that the interest in Blanco was pretty thin. A lot of people have already commented on why Blanco is a pretty bad fit for the Fire right now, but maybe they thought just dismissing Blanco would be bad PR.

    If the choice was really Blanco or Castillo/Marquez/Franco – it is not even close and the Mexican 2nd division is about right. I never liked the guy, but he had great skill.

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  6. Racist fans? I can only assume you are a troll on these boards. I have been a season ticket holder for the Fire for years and the reception Blanco got here was nothing short of adoration. His return probably wouldn’t help this team reach the playoffs and the Fire need to build for the future not look in the past. Too call Fire fans racist is misguided at best and plain ignorant at worst.

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  7. They actually were upped to 1st division. If you think the Fire were on hot pursuit; you are sadly mistaken. Blanco wanted to come back, Fire didn’t want him for what he wanted to be paid. So if you consider “interest” as a “hot pursuit” then maybe.

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  8. Is that the best you got?

    And then Ives tweets that Chicago Fire needs somebody like Marquez….
    Ives, Chicago Fire needs all the help they can get.
    But their fans are hugely ingrate and, dare I say, racist with their attacks agains Blanco, one of their best former players.
    Marquez will never play in a team like Chicago Fire.

    HC

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  9. Blanco went to a 2nd division Mexican football club. By any objective measure, today, Blanco’s skills and abilities are far superior to any Chicago Fire player.

    Much is being said about Blanco’s speed. What do you mean by speed? Speed to pass? control the ball? move the game forward? thinking ability? distribution? By that standard, Blanco’s speed is higher, by far, than any Chicago Fire player.

    Glad that he went to a 2nd division football club. It would had been embarrassing for him to return to play in a club that, in Mexico or any other country, would be playing in a 3rd division level.

    Blanco best of luck and thanks for all that you have done for football. I have been very lucky to see you play.

    HC

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  10. Kinda relieved to hear that Blanco went 2nd division Mexican football. If the Fire have sunk so low that an overage player with a beer gut has to take a week to decide between MLS and lower level football, then we need better players than him.

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  11. Honestly, yes. While I’m certainly not a fan of Mexico, the team, I respect a few of their players. Memo Ochoa is one, and Blanco is another. Seems like he played with real…er….fire (sorry) for club and country.

    I don’t know that he had enough in the tank to make a real impact in MLS, though.

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  12. for me the greater concern is that the Chicago Fire were attempting to sign the same player has a mexican second divison team.

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  13. As a fire fan I’m very happy that the DP is not Blanco. I loved him the first year, year and half he was here, but its time to move on and I’m anxiously awaiting the announcement of the DP, whether it be Castillo or someone else.

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  14. The Fire wee not “hotly pursuing ” Blanco.They merely expressed interest in him returning.

    (SBI-Believe that if you want. Teams that fail to sign a target tend to not have had as much interest after the fact.)

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  15. A midfielder that is drawing social security is the last thing the fire need. They need a new and exciting face that can breathe some energy into this team. They also need a new coach but thats an entirely different problem

    Reply

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