Cuauhtémoc Blanco

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Blanco and the second or maternal family name is Bravo.
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Blanco Veracruz.jpg
Blanco with Veracruz in 2010.
Personal information
Full name Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo
Date of birth January 17, 1973 (1973-01-17) (age 38)
Place of birth Mexico City, Mexico
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Attacking Midfielder
Forward
Club information
Current club Irapuato
Number 10
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1992–2007 América 333 (125)
1997–1998 → Necaxa (loan) 28 (13)
2000–2002 → Real Valladolid (loan) 23 (3)
2004 → Veracruz (loan) 15 (5)
2007–2009 Chicago Fire 62 (16)
2008 → Santos Laguna (loan) 4 (1)
2010 Veracruz 14 (5)
2010– Irapuato 5 (2)
National team
1995– Mexico 121 (39)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (born January 17, 1973) is a Mexican professional footballer currently signed for Irapuato in the Mexican Liga de Ascenso.[1]

Known for his aggressive yet charismatic personality on the field, playing most of his career as a deep-lying forward and his last years as an attacking midfielder. He is widely considered one of the greatest and most talented Mexican players in the last two decades.

Blanco is the only Mexican football player with an award in a major international FIFA competition, as he won the Silver Ball and the Golden Shoe awards in the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup. He has been awarded the MVP of the Mexican First League Division five times.

He is tied with Ronaldinho as the leading Confederations Cup goalscorer. Blanco is the second leading goal scorer for the Mexican national football team and his debut team Club América; he is also Mexico's second top scorer in both the FIFA World Cup and the Copa Libertadores tournament.

Contents

Club career

Blanco was born and raised in Tepito, a poor neighborhood of Mexico City, where he learned to love playing football in the local fields. Growing up in a rough environment with a high crime rate, Blanco developed a style of play based on creativity and aggressiveness leading him to sometimes lose his temper. Ángel González a scout for Club América discovered him as he won the Torneo Benito Juarez as a part of the Distrito Federal selection team, and brought him to Club America's basic forces.

Club America

Blanco during his time with Club América.

Having played most of his career in Club America, with 333 appearances and 125 goals, Cuauhtémoc has become an idol to the club's supporters and an important figure in the history of the team.

Blanco made his debut in the Primera División (Mexican First Division) in 1992 at the age of 19 with Club América. He won his first Golden Boot with 16 goals in the Winter 1998 season for Las Aguilas.

In May 2005, Blanco won his first club championship as a player, leading Club América to its tenth league title, when Club América defeated U.A.G. by an aggregate score of 7–4 (1–1, 6–3). In the next three consecutive years between 2005 to 2007, he was awarded the MVP.

Necaxa

He was loaned for Winter 1997 and Summer 1998 at Club Necaxa, in which he scored 13 goals in 28 appearances.

Real Valladolid

In the year 2000, after winning the Golden Shoe in the Confederations Cup 1999, Blanco was loaned to Real Valladolid for the 2000–01 campaign. On October of that year in an international WCQ match against Trinidad and Tobago, he received a strong kick from an opposing defender, breaking his leg and leaving him out of the fields for the next 8 months.

After the peak of his career was stopped by an injury, he continued in the club for another season (2001–02), in which he struggled with homesickness and regaining his form; after scoring great goals in Spain, including a free-kick against Real Madrid's Iker Casillas at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium,[2] he returned to Mexico.

Veracruz

In the Apertura 2004 he had a successful season with the Tiburones Rojos in which they ended up leaders, Blanco being an important factor. During this season he gained an important following at the port, which led him to come back later on.

Chicago Fire

Blanco in Chicago in 2009 during his time with the Chicago Fire.

On 2 April 2007, Blanco ventured on to Major League Soccer in the United States and signed with Chicago Fire. He was welcomed by 5,000 fans at Toyota Park as he conducted interviews with the media, signed autographs and greeted with fans.

He was later voted as a finalist for both the M.V.P. and Newcomer of the Year awards in 2007.[3] Blanco was the 2007 Sierra Mist Goal of the Year Winner which was his first season, goal came in week 20 against RSL.[4]

As of the 2008 season, Blanco was the second-highest paid player in Major League Soccer, after Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham, earning $2.7 million a year.[5] Once again finalist for the M.V.P of the year award.

On 24 July 2008 during the MLS All-Stars vs West Ham United, Blanco won the MVP of the game with one assist and one goal, a game in which he only played 46 minutes. The MLS All-stars won 3–2.

Santos Laguna

On November 19, 2008, it was announced that Santos Laguna signed Blanco on a loan to play only for the Apertura 2008 Liguilla, after the injury of their Ecuadorian striker Christian Benítez. Blanco was formally presented to the press the next day, wearing jersey number 9, and stated that he looks forward to giving Santos a back-to-back championship. [6][7][8] Blanco scored his first goal with Santos Laguna 29 November 2008. It was penalty against San Luis goalkeeper Adrian Martinez in the return game which Santos Laguna won 2–1 and 5–2 aggregate score.

Return to Mexico

On October 29, 2009 Blanco announced that he would not be renewing his three-year contract with Chicago Fire in December 2009, and would instead sign for Veracruz, beginning in January 2010.[9]

International career

Blanco has played for the Mexican national football team in three World Cups being France '98, Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010. He was a member of the Mexican national team that won the Confederations Cup in 1999 where he was the tournament's leading scorer with 6 goals, including one in the final. He was awarded the "Golden Boot" and "Silver Ball" for outstanding player of the tournament. Blanco holds the record along with Ronaldinho as the highest scoring players in the Confederations Cup with 9 goals, three in 1997 and 6 in 1999. He is also one of the top scorers of the Mexican national football team; seven goals behind the top scorer Jared Borgetti.

In the selection for the final 23 man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, former Mexican national team coach Ricardo Lavolpe left Blanco out of the team. While the ostensible reason given was that Blanco was frequently injured and not in good form; some people considered this to be a consequence of the previous year's constant bickering, due to on-going personal problems between coach and player.

Blanco became part of the squad that played the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, scoring one penalty goal, and the 2007 Copa America, where he scored 2 goals also in penalty kicks.

He has since been praised for his influential performance and is now tipped to be a certain starter for the majority of Mexico's qualifying games, mostly due to his experience and current form with Chicago Fire in MLS. On September 13 2008, the veteran Mexican playmaker earned his 100th cap for his country in its 2–1 World Cup Qualifier victory over Canada at Tuxtla Gutierrez, coming on with only 15 seconds left in regulation.

Blanco returned to the national team since Javier Aguirre's arrival to the team in April 2009, playing in all the games throughout the Hexagonal of the World Cup Qualifying since then; Blanco becoming an important factor for Mexico's team regain of form and confidence.

On October 10, 2009 Blanco provoked the first opposition own-goal and scored the second goal in a 4–1 victory over El Salvador to help Mexico clinch a spot in the 2010 World Cup. On 17 June 2010, he scored a penalty in the 78th minute of the 2–0 win against France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.[10] With this goal he became the first Mexican to score a goal in three World Cup tournaments and the third oldest goalscorer in World Cup history.[11][12]

International goals

Celebration

Blanco himself has accepted on Mexican television and to the press that his goal celebration is an imitation of the "Archer"[13] celebration created by former Atletico de Madrid striker Kiko Narvaez. In a 2005 interview with Mexican newspaper El Universal (Mexico City), Blanco explains that while watching a Spanish league game accompanied by his teammate German Villa, both players agreed to celebrate their next goal by imitating the "Archer" gesture. In the end, only Blanco did it, and jokingly reprimanded Villa for not keeping his word.[14][14] However, the Chicago Fire official website claims that Blanco celebrates scoring a goal by acting like the Prehispanic Tlatoani Aztec emperor Cuauhtémoc, "in order to show respect for the Mexican people, and their indigenous Amerindian heritage".[15]

Cuauhtemiña

Blanco remains remembered for the Cuauhtemiña (also spelled Cuauhteminha), or Blanco Trick, which he performed notably at the 1998 World Cup.[16] In the trick, when two or more opposition players are trying to take the ball from him, he traps the ball between his feet and jumps through the defenders- releasing the ball in the air and landing with it under control as he leaves the opposition players behind.[17] The trick is easy to perform but is eye-catching and has been incorporated as a special skill into the FIFA series of football video games.

Career statistics

As of October 22, 2009 [18]
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Mexico League Cup North America Total
1992–93 América Primera División 12 0 -
1993–94 4 0 -
1994–95 33 6 -
1995–96 32 5 -
1996–97 27 9 -
1997–98 Necaxa 28 13 -
1998–99 América 31 31 -
1999-00 36 20 -
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
2000–01 Real Valladolid La Liga 3 0
2001–02 20 3
Mexico League Cup North America Total
2002–03 América Primera División 36 11 -
2003–04 38 20 -
2004–05 35 13 -
2005–06 28 7 -
2006–07 36 13 -
USA League Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup North America Total
2007 Chicago Fire Major League Soccer 14 4
2008 27 7
2009 21 5
Total Mexico 376 143 -
Spain 23 3
USA 62 16
Career total 437 158

International

As of 27 June 2010
National team Season Apps Goals
Mexico 1994–95 1 0
1995–96 7 4
1996–97 12 1
1997–98 22 6
1998–99 14 2
1999–00 8 7
2000–01 2 4
2001–02 11 6
2002–03 2 0
2003–04 0 0
2004–05 6 0
2005–06 1 0
2006–07 11 4
2007–08 0 0
2008–09 5 1
2009–10 19 4
Total 121 39

Honors

Mexico

América

Individual

FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Boot
1999
FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball
1999
Mexican Player of the Year
2001–2002
Primera División de México MVP
1997–1998, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007
Primera División de México Top Scorer
Invierno 1998
MLS Best XI
2008
MLS All-Star Game MVP
2008
MLS Goal of the Year
2007
Tecate Athlete of the Year
2008
Mexico Premio Nacional del Deporte
2009

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cuauhtémoc Blanco jugará en el Irapuato de México
  2. ↑ “” (2007-04-08). "Gol Cuauhtemoc Blanco contra Real Madrid Valladolid". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_FYQIANw5A. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  3. ↑ "MLSnet.com: Press release". 2007 MLS award finalists & announcement schedule. http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20071029&content_id=126642&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
  4. ↑ Media Player
  5. ↑ "Mr. White Gets to 100 Caps (Maybe), Walks Away". New York Times. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/cuauht%C3%A9moc-blanco/. Retrieved 2008-09-21. 
  6. ↑ Blanco va a Santos pero sólo para la Liguilla
  7. ↑ Blanco quiere el bicampeonato para el Santos
  8. ↑ "Blanco loaned to Santos Laguna". Chicago.fire.mlsnet.com. 2010-06-06. http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20081120&content_id=205622&vkey=news_chf&fext=.jsp&team=t100. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  9. ↑ "Cuauhtemoc Blanco to leave Chicago Fire for Mexico". Usatoday.com. 2009-10-29. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-10-29-2733898366_x.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  10. ↑ "France 0–2 Mexico". BBC Sport. 2010-06-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_20/default.stm. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
  11. ↑ "Mexico tops France to close in on knockout round". The Sports Network. 2010-06-17. http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=soc-wc/news/news.aspx?id=4319167. Retrieved 2010-06-17. 
  12. ↑ Ramírez, Armando (2010-06-19). "Temo Seguiría Como Tiburón" (in Spanish). Diario Record. ISSN 1665-2134. 
  13. ↑ http://www.colchonero.com/media/galeria/4/2/8/0/9/n_atletico_de_madrid_kiko_narvaez-9082.jpg
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Así nació el festejo del `Flechador`". El Universal. http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=72484&tabla=deportes. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 
  15. ↑ "Chicago Fire Player Bio". Chicago Fire S.C.. http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/players/bio.jsp?player=blanco_c&playerId=bla435579&statType=current&team=t100. Retrieved 2009-05-09. "Blanco is equally creative with his goal celebrations. To honor Mexican tradition and history, Blanco strikes the iconic pose of prehispanic ruler Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc..." 
  16. ↑ Cuauteminha Intergoals.co.uk Accessed 06–01–08
  17. ↑ Cuauhteminha Youtube.com
  18. ↑ "クアウテモク･ブランコ". World-soccer.org. http://www.world-soccer.org/p-25135.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-18. 

External links

Deportivo Irapuato – current squad

1 Corona · 2 Márquez · 3 M. Gutiérrez · 4 Franco · 6 Razo · 7 J. J. Gutiérrez · 8 Manrique · 9 L. Casanova · 10 C. Blanco · 11 González · 12 A. Blanco · 13 Vega · 14 Reyna · 15 Jiménez · 18 Pizzichillo · 22 Saucedo · 23 Ibarra · 27 Gómez · 37 Valadéz · 39 Castillo · 40 Garza · 44 Arellano · 45 J. C. Gutiérrez · 50 M. Casanova · 55 Hernández · 58 Cruz · 99 Rodríguez · Manager: Batocletti