The Chicago Fire will be featuring a star Mexican as its Designated Player this season, but it won't be Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
It will be someone younger, and someone with a track record of scoring goals.
The Fire announced Mexican international Nery Castillo as its new Designated Player on Saturday. The well-traveled striker joins Chicago after an unsuccessful loan stint with Ukrainian club Dnipro. The 26-year-old striker has played for Olympiakos, Shakhtar Donetsk and Manchester City in recent years, but has yet to fulfill the potential he flashed as a standout for Mexico and Olympiakos as far back as 2007.
Castillo enjoyed his best period with Olympiakos, but a big-money transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk has lead to goal-less stints with Shakhtar, Manchester City and Dnipro. His lack of playing time at Dnipro led to him being excluded from Mexico's World Cup squad.
What do you think of the Fire's signing? Glad Chicago didn't bring back Blanco? Think Castillo can make an impact in Chicago?
Share your thoughts below.
You’re totally clueless. Castillo was doing fine in Greece. Shakhtar Donetsk paid millions to buy him, but when the incident happened, he was benched and ostracized. He paid money out of his own pocket to go on loan to England, unfortunately he got injured, and was unable to secure a spot. I think the change of scenery will help his career, but if he wants to make the Mexican squad, he can’t stay too long in MLS.
i really like the signing, he’s got a ton of talent and I hope he regains the form he showed in 2007. BUT, if he’s making anything over 350 G’s, they are making a Huge miscalculation. I don’t have a clue what it is, but there’s a reason why he hasn’t been able to really make anything of his career. Hopefully this isn’t similar to the Denilson signing for Dallas
I hope you’re talking about the soccer team, because the city can’t be beat.
very tru. good addition
mental baggage, that is. he’s definately got talent, so hopefully de los cobos can set him straight
i think thru 2011
Chicago goes from No Neck to One Helluva Unibrow.
I know it will never happen but I would like to see a healthy Jermaine Jones in a Fire uniform.
If he can score goals, Castillo will sell alot of tickets. Considering that Chicago has the second highest mexican population in the US, this seems like a good deal for the Fire.
This guy will drible around Mls defense, well except L.A. Galaxy´s.
How is Johnson look in goal??? Is there some hope well have a keeper who isn’t completely lost playing the remainder of the season??
No decent team wanted him for a reason.
Players like him are blacklisted for being cancers, TAKE NOTE.
The Browstach is going to sell like crazy lol.
Castillo hasnt scored because the coaches would not play him for personal reasons. But this guy has more talent than the entire Chicago Fire squad lol.Yes including McBride at this stage in his career.
he had mexican teams trying to sign him, but could not reach a loan deal with shaktar.
i’d love for the haters out there to put together a list of attackers in MLS that Castillo can’t go toe to toe with. My list would include…
Donovan
Henry
De Rosario
He’s plenty worth a DP spot in my opinion.
Hope this works out. Maybe things didn’t work out for him in Shaktar because its freaking Shaktar.
you can expect whatever you want. what you actually get, that’s another thing. we should also expect to have a starting striker on our world cup team that scored more than 2 goals in an entire league season. sometimes you just take what you can get.
That’s why I like it. People were whining about the Henry signing, saying MLS is a retirement league, and now we a young with a lot to prove.
WOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHH the sound of the joke going over your head.
Different player completely. Blanco has a long history of success in Mexico, including one or two titles with America. Fits the DP profile.
Just look at Castillo’sarket value: 900,000 EUR (1,164,000 USD). Transfer fee FREE. Far cry from the 13.5 million EUR in 2007.
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/nery-castillo/transfers/spieler_9711.html
Ei— Chingoncago
The Mexican version of Freddy Adu (no offense Freddy, just need to find a club and actually play there)
I thought DPs are suppose to be players with an established career, he’s played a handful of times in the last few years.
Horrible DP!
Funny, but these were the EXACT same kinds of comments people made about Blanco when he originally signed with the Fire.
Wow. This signing could be another dud, but it has far greater upside than downside. Castillo was tremendous in the last Copa America (fantastic goal against Brazil), and against us in the first Gold Cup. He has lost his form considerably due largely to poorly thought out club choices. Given time, he could become a highly influential attacking force.
He has played for Mexico, and is still one of their most talented players; if he was in full gear, he would be playing still. He probably has some issues personally as well, but he had to have swallowed his pride a little to come here. Blanco was great for Chicago, and with fewer years left. Let’s see.
An interesting thing to think about…
Does an influx of Mexican players “raise the temperature” of MLS a little?
I can’t imagine that Pablo Mastroeni or Jimmy Conrad or Kyle Beckerman will pull punches, and I’m guessing Rafa will give Donovan and Ching (and Beasley, if he ends up here) some of the same.
One of the things I like about MLS is that it’s contentious and “feisty”, often. I wouldn’t mind seeing a little more.
Also, it’s probably good for the Mexican players that still want to be part of the Mexico setup, as their availability for friendlies is greater.
One of point missing: he has not played in more than 2 years. Mainly because no one in Europe and Mexico did not want to touch him because we has a lockeroom and media problem. With all due respect to MLS they were the only ones that would. By the way, he has never played in a Mexican team.
In 2006, this kid was the next big thing. A fight between who he was going to sign with. And he finally chose Mexico. But attitude became a problem and the once supposed-to-be might has fallen. Hopefully he gets his act together and gets back into form.
A 26 year old goal scorer who has talent and young enough to recover his form. He can sell out stadiums and has something to prove. Not bad Chicago. You needed something drastic and you took the chance. All of you people out there hatin need to realize that this is exactly what everyone has been complaining about. “the mls never signs young players as a dp” well here it is. I hare this cat but I’m excited he’s in the leauge
He really sucks. Much like Chicago.
People complain when DPs over thirty sign and when one under 28 is signed, they complain again. Castillo clearly has talent. Everyone who has followed the US nats have seen him do damage to teams when he’s focused and in form. Considering this is a loan deal for the rest of the season with an option to buy at the end, this is hardly that big a risk for Chicago. If he tears up the league then they have the option to buy a 26 year old forward who might be one of the most purely talented players in the league. If he doesn’t work out, they didn’t spend a lot of money and they don’t have to buy him. This is a win-win in my book for the Fire.
Bravo is a much better pick-up than Castillo. Oh well, more Mexicans in the league should boost ticket sales.
Good player, kind of crazy, but still good. Omar Bravo to KC also good.
how many trophies have the red bulls won 0 i think so calling them the best is a bit of a stretch dont you think
How long is this loan for?
Will be interesting to watch. Not a Chicago fan but this is definitely worth following.
He can be the league MVP or quit on the team
ooh, awesome! it’s gonna be exciting watching john compete with castillo to see who can be more terrible.
well at least with his DP money he can finally do something with that unibrow thing going on. i mean he would scare me with that thing. its like a catepillar that on his face.
He’s scored a total of 2 goals since the ’06-’07 season.
im sure hell help sellout the place though
loads of talent but is a head case
what other player? Rafa Marquez is going to the Red Bulls. Only the best for the best.
HC
Not sure about this signing. He is a bit of a hot head. Remember the outbursts against the Mexican media.
If you are glad Chicago didn’t bring back Blanco, wait until you see Castillo’s shenanigans. His specialty was kicking PK.
He did not play for the Mexican squad because he has not played in 2 years.
very talented, but a huge pain in the butt!
but did you notice Collins John today? hugely ineffective and not happy taken out of the game.
at least Castillo can score.
HC
Sounds like a great addition to me. Blanco would have been okay, but this is a great move for the club with the longterm future in mind. I’m excited to see so many solid international players bringing a buzz to MLS.
whatever… i’m more interested in the other player they bring in
least favorite mexican player! just so much baggage with this guy
I think we should expect more from an DP than a player who is coming off “an unsuccessful loan stint with Ukrainian club Dnipro.”