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Cuauhtémoc Blanco

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Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Personal information
Full name Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo
Height 5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m)
Position(s) Striker, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 MexicoAmérica
Number 10
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 May, 2007

Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (born January 17, 1973) is a Mexican football striker, who currently plays for Club América and for the Mexican national team, where he is the most honored player by FIFA of all time with a Golden Boot and a Silver Ball, both in Confederations Cup. He is regarded as one of the best strikers and most controversial football players in Mexico.[1] He is set to join Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire at the end of the current Mexican football season (Clausura 2007).

Career

Blanco made his debut in the Primera División de México in 1990 at age 17 with Club América. Seven years later, he was sent to play with Necaxa, and returned 2 years later to Club América. In 2000 Blanco was transferred to Real Valladolid in Spain where he played for 2 years before returning again to América. In 2004, after being involved in a training-ground bustup at the Estadio Azteca, Blanco was loaned to CD Veracruz for six months before returning to Club América. Blanco has played for the Mexican National Team in two World Cups, France '98 and Korea-Japan 2002, scoring a total of two goals. 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 9 goals. He was awarded the Golden Boot and Silver Ball. Blanco holds the record with Ronaldinho as the highest-scoring players in the Confederations Cup with 9. (See Confederations Cup goalscorers). He is one of the top scorers of the Mexican National Team only nine goals behind the top scorer of all time Jared Borgetti. Following this tournmaent, Blanco attracted attention from both Spanish and German clubs (citation needed).

In May of 2005, Blanco won his first club championship as a player, leading Club América to its tenth league title, (and a tie for the honor of the club with most titles) when the "Aguilas" defeated the UAG Tecos by an aggregate score of 7-4 (1-1, 6-3). Blanco is one of Mexico's best attacking strikers and one of the league's most prolific scorers still in activity, with nearly 150 goals to his name. He has amassed more than 80 caps and scored 31 goals for his country. Blanco was responsible for introducing a novel footballing technique known popularly in México as the 'Cuauteminha' (Also known as the 'Blanco Bounce' or 'Bunny Hop'), whereupon he would tuck the ball between his feet and leap over tackling or on-rushing opponents with the ball still clutched in the same position. This move was introduced in the 1998 World Cup against South Korea. In the selection for the final 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, coach Ricardo Lavolpe left Blanco out of the team. While the ostensible reason is that Blanco is frequently injured and not in good form, some people considered this to be a consequence of the previous year's constant bickering and due to personal problems with the player. Nonetheless he reacted calmly and supported the team.

Major League Soccer

On April 2, 2007, Cuauhtémoc Blanco was welcomed by the Chicago Fire with around 5,000 fans at Toyota Park as he signed autographs and shook hands. Blanco will be wearing number 10 as he did with Club America. "I am coming to Chicago," Blanco told the Bridgeview crowd.

"I am very happy and will give 100 percent for Chicago to be in the final. I look forward to working with this group of players to bring a championship to Chicago, a community that has always supported me, in good times and in bad times. I hope to bring great satisfaction to all of you."


Honors

Club Honors

Mexico Club America

International Honors

Mexico Mexico

Individual Honors

Celebration

From very early on in his career, Blanco decided to celebrate in a trademark position imitating the Prehispanic Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc, in order to represent the people of Mexico. This celebration is Blanco´s signature and one of the most famous celebrations in Mexico.

Other famous celebrations

  • The bad relationship between Blanco and Ricardo Lavolpe has lasted for more than 5 years, since when words were said before a match between Club América and Atlas, where Lavolpe was head coach; Blanco scored a goal in that match and celebrated by laying on the floor in front of Lavolpe.
  • In another match Félix Fernández offended Cuauhtemoc, and so Cuauhtemoc told him, "Beg God that I don´t score a goal because i´m gonna leave a stain on you." He scored a goal in the match and celebrated as if he was a dog urinating on Felix. [2]

Controversy

He has been involved in many controversial events in his career, establishing a reputation of being loved or hated, with no middle opinions about him. He has been subject of the media with relationships with Galilea Montijo and many more personalities, and inside the pitch he is known for provoking opponents and referees alike.

He also punched TV Azteca reporter David Failterson in his locker room in a game between America and Veracruz in the Luis Pirata Fuente Stadium, and TV Azteca started a war with Blanco, in which Jose Ramon Fernandez (who has always been very critical of him) even called him a coward. [citation needed]

Trivia

  • The name Cuauhtémoc comes form the Nahuatl words Cuauhtli and Temoc, where Cuahtli means eagle, the mascot of Club América.
  • When he played on the Tiburones of CD Veracruz, he used to be called Tiburón Blanco (White Shark); he therefore modified his celebration, putting a hand to his head like a fin.
  • One of Cuauhtemoc´s most famous goal was scored at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium playing against Real Madrid. This goal lead to the victory of his team.
  • When Ricardo Lavolpe decided not to include Blanco in the national team, a large group of fans organized a 15km protest march.[3]
  • He has been a Club America fan since he was 6 years old.[4]
  • Cuauhtemoc has his own signature move called "The Cuauhtemihna." He does this move by holding the ball with both feet and hopping between two defenders. It was first used in the World Cup in France 1998 against South Korea, which allowed him to break through two South Korean defenders and pass the ball for the first Mexican goal in that cup.
  • Cuauhtemoc has the World Cup record for most fouls received. Many players enjoy provoking him to get a reaction.
  • Cuauhtemoc is currently (as of May 5, 2007) the second best all-time Mexican goalscorer in the Copa Libertadores tournament. He has 15 goals to his name only behind Juan Francisco Palencia with 16 goals.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Cuauhtémoc Blanco.

References

  1. ^ ESPN Deportes.com
  2. ^ Entrevista
  3. ^ Marcha Pro-Cuauhtemoc www.oem.com.mx
  4. ^ Entrevista
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