Will One Player Make the Difference?
As un-Hollywoodesque of a debut David Beckham had yesterday, Cuauhtemoc Blanco's first appearance in a Chicago Fire shirt could not have been better written. Pre-season form or not, Celtic have looked very average on their tour this summer and that pattern held true this afternoon at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Blanco was running past Celtic defenders with ease, he was fooling them with ball tricks and spot-on passes, and he scored the Fire's only goal as the match ended 1-1. The question now is will he be able to elevate a dreadful Fire that are well deserved of their bottom of the Eastern Conference spot? Anyone that thinks that assessment is harsh should look at the recent heartless showing against Houston Dynamo before the All-Star break and the fact that the All-Star game was devoid of any Fire representative.
Blanco won't be bringing out any of the Chicago area celebrities the way Beckham will. But he will bring out the best in the players around him. Chris Armas and CJ Brown put in fantastic performances. Hell, even Calen Carr looked like he had real promise as he worked quite well with Blanco. Chad Barrett still needs lots of help. His finishing is non-existent at the moment so if he watches Blanco in practice and takes any inspiration from Blanco's efforts he might just develop into a true scoring threat for the Fire.
Celtic fans and MLS detractors will be quick to point out that this was just a friendly. Scottish Premier League detractors (hands raise around the Vein of Form office) will point out that the SPL is overrated and clubs like Celtic and Rangers might get beaten by clubs like Houston, New England, and DC United on a routine basis during league play. The Celtic players could well have been out too late on Rush Street the night prior, but they had no answer for the Fire attack when Blanco was leading the charge.
Only when the Mexican international came off did they begin to look dangerous but it was all too late. Backup Fire 'keeper John Busch - John Busch?!?! - made a few great saves to deserve Man of the Match honors and hold this to a tie. Toronto FC on the road July 29 will be Blanco's opportunity to lead this club out of the basement in a meaningful match. It is easy to turn things around in MLS and qualify for the playoffs.
The Fire were picked to be one of 3 or 4 teams with a chance to win MLS Cup before the season for good reason. They have a decent group of players. Justin Mapp is one of the league's best and if Chris Rolfe gets healthy they could begin scoring goals in bunches.
If Blanco brings this type of class every match he will raise the play of his teammates. They will either fulfill their potential or play beyond themselves. The end result could be the Fire go on a great run and live up to the preseason hype. This would appear to be what Juan Pablo Angel has done for New York Red Bull and what LA hopes Beckham will do. However, Blanco has alot more to work with in Chicago and doesn't have a bad ankle.
Blanco was running past Celtic defenders with ease, he was fooling them with ball tricks and spot-on passes, and he scored the Fire's only goal as the match ended 1-1. The question now is will he be able to elevate a dreadful Fire that are well deserved of their bottom of the Eastern Conference spot? Anyone that thinks that assessment is harsh should look at the recent heartless showing against Houston Dynamo before the All-Star break and the fact that the All-Star game was devoid of any Fire representative.
Blanco won't be bringing out any of the Chicago area celebrities the way Beckham will. But he will bring out the best in the players around him. Chris Armas and CJ Brown put in fantastic performances. Hell, even Calen Carr looked like he had real promise as he worked quite well with Blanco. Chad Barrett still needs lots of help. His finishing is non-existent at the moment so if he watches Blanco in practice and takes any inspiration from Blanco's efforts he might just develop into a true scoring threat for the Fire.
Celtic fans and MLS detractors will be quick to point out that this was just a friendly. Scottish Premier League detractors (hands raise around the Vein of Form office) will point out that the SPL is overrated and clubs like Celtic and Rangers might get beaten by clubs like Houston, New England, and DC United on a routine basis during league play. The Celtic players could well have been out too late on Rush Street the night prior, but they had no answer for the Fire attack when Blanco was leading the charge.
Only when the Mexican international came off did they begin to look dangerous but it was all too late. Backup Fire 'keeper John Busch - John Busch?!?! - made a few great saves to deserve Man of the Match honors and hold this to a tie. Toronto FC on the road July 29 will be Blanco's opportunity to lead this club out of the basement in a meaningful match. It is easy to turn things around in MLS and qualify for the playoffs.
The Fire were picked to be one of 3 or 4 teams with a chance to win MLS Cup before the season for good reason. They have a decent group of players. Justin Mapp is one of the league's best and if Chris Rolfe gets healthy they could begin scoring goals in bunches.
If Blanco brings this type of class every match he will raise the play of his teammates. They will either fulfill their potential or play beyond themselves. The end result could be the Fire go on a great run and live up to the preseason hype. This would appear to be what Juan Pablo Angel has done for New York Red Bull and what LA hopes Beckham will do. However, Blanco has alot more to work with in Chicago and doesn't have a bad ankle.
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