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name: Cuauhtemoc Blanco
position: M height: 5-9 weight:180 Birthdate: January 17, 1973 Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico last club: Club America (Mexico) |
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| Regular Season Stats | full bio l year-by-year stats l video highlights |
| year | club | gp | gs | min | g | a | sht | sog | fc | fs | c | ej |
| 2009 | Chicago | 21 | 15 | 1,452 | 5 | 8 | 39 | 17 | 10 | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| Career | 62 | 56 | 5,083 | 16 | 26 | 111 | 57 | 29 | 176 | 11 | 0 | |
| Most Recent Video Highlights |
| date | clubs | video description |
| 05/28/09 | Fire @ Chivas USA |
 Cuauhtemoc Blanco dominates the PK
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| 05/28/09 | Fire @ Chivas USA |
Blanco levels with PK
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| 05/28/09 | Fire @ Chivas USA |
Blanco's game-winning PK
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On April 3, 2007, the Chicago Fire signed Mexican International Cuauhtémoc Blanco as their first-ever Designated Player. After the news was first announced, over 6,000 fans attended a ceremony at TOYOTA PARK on April 2 to welcome the renowned attacker to Chicago. Blanco then finished his commitments with former team Club América through the Clausura season, and served duty with the Mexican National Team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the CONMEBOL Copa America. Questions of chemistry were asked with the addition of Blanco into the Fire starting lineup, but the Mexico City, Mexico native put them to rest as he made an immediate positive impact. The fiery forward scored a game-tying goal in his first match for Chicago, helping his new club earn a 1-1 draw against Scottish power Celtic FC in an international friendly at TOYOTA PARK.
Blanco continued his strong form with a series of exciting "firsts" throughout the 2007 Fire campaign. In his Major League Soccer debut at Toronto FC, 'Temo' added his first game-winning assist in an emphatic 3-0 victory. Blanco's first goal in league play would also prove to be his best, as his game-winning volley from 25 yards out at Real Salt Lake would later be named the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS Goal of the Year, Overall, the 2007 Honda MLS MVP finalist notched a total of four goals and seven assists for Chicago through 14 regular season league matches and contributed one assist through games played in the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Inventive on the pitch, Blanco is well-known for his unique Cuauhtémiña (CWAU-te-MEEN-YA) or "Blanco Bounce" move, in which he jumps with the ball held between his feet to escape defenders. Blanco is equally creative with his goal celebrations. To honor Mexican tradition and history, Blanco strikes the iconic pose of prehispanic ruler Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc, who attempted to save the Aztecs from Spanish Conquistadors. Now available for his first full season of service with the "Men in Red", Blanco could be an even brighter spark for the Fire as a key playmaker in 2008.
MLS 2007: Named the 2007 Chicago Fire/Honda Most Valuable Player … Appeared in all 14 regular season matches for the Fire since joining the team midseason … Notched four goals and seven assists … Recorded game-winning assist on 10-21 vs. LA, lifting the Fire to the fourth and final Eastern Conference Semifinals position … Scored a game-tying long-range freekick on 9-29 in a 1-1 draw at CHV … Notched goal (54') and assist (70') vs. NY on 9-15 … Scored GWG (43') for first MLS career goal and notched an assist (78') on 8-18 @ RSL, which would later be named the 2007 Sierra Mist MLS Goal of the Year … Assisted on Ivan Guerrero's game-winning goal in MLS debut on 7-29 at Toronto FC … Scored game-tying goal in 30th minute of his Fire debut in 1-1 draw on 7-22 vs. Celtic FC … Signed as a Designated Player on 4-3-07 … MLS Cup Playoffs: Played all in all three 2007 MLS Cup Playoff matches, registering an assist in 263 minutes played … Played 85 minutes in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at home against D.C. United in a 1-0 win … Played 88 minutes in Game Two of the ECSF at D.C. United, recording an assist in the 2-2 draw … Played 90 min. in the 1-0 loss in the Eastern Conference Final at New England.
Other Professional Experience
2005-2007: Played with Club América of the Mexican Primera Division … Logged seven goals and six assists in 17 games in his final season with Club América through 1,530 minutes … Led Club América to CONCACAF Champions' Cup title in 2006 … Played in 27 games, starting eight while recording four goals and four assists during the 2006 Apertua and Clausura campaigns … Won the Clausura league crown in 2005 … Earned Primera Division de Mexico Most Valuable Player honors … Scored 15 goals and added 14 assists in 38 games … 2004: Spent Apertua season with Mexican club, Veracruz … Started all 15 games that he played in … Placed five balls in the back of the net while assisting four others … 2002-2004: Returned to Club América … Earned Primera Division de Mexico Most Valuable Player honors … Scored 31 goals in 74 games over the two year span…Started 71 games logging 6,466 minutes … 2000-2002: Traveled to Valladolid, Spain to play for Real Valladolid … Struggled in the Spanish Primera netting only three goals and no assists … Played in 20 games starting 11 during the 2001-02 campaign … Substituted in for three games during the 2000-01 season … 1998-2000: Returned to Club América … Started 14 of 16 games played in registering 1,348 minutes during the 2000 Verano season … Scored nine goals in 2000 … Added one assist to go along with his 26 goals during the 1999 campaign while he started all 35 games that he appeared in … Led the Primera Division with 16 goals in the 1998 Invierno season … 1997-1998: On loan at Primera Division de Mexico club, Necaxa … Appeared in 28 games for a total of 2,379 minutes … Netted 13 goals while setting up two more.
International
Has represented Mexico at two FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002), scoring in each tournament … Won a pair of CONCACAF Gold Cup titles (1996, 1998) … Led Mexico past Brazil for the 1999 Confederations Cup title, setting tournament record for goals with nine … Played for Mexico at 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta … Represented Mexico at the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal and Final at Soldier Field and joined "El Tri" at the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela.
