Castillo joins Fire

The Fire needed to do something.

Nery Castillo can be something else.

The Fire announced Saturday night it had acquired the 26-year-old Mexican forward on loan from Ukrainian club Shahktar Donetsk with an option for a permanent transfer.

"He's a tremendous player as far as having the ability to break opposing defenses down with the ball," said Fire technical director Frank Klopas, who closed the deal after two years of work. "He's a very fast player who can create opportunities for himself and for his teammates and who also can finish plays. We're very excited as an organization."

Klopas said the Fire also had interest in re-signing Mexican forward Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who played for the Fire for three seasons before leaving last winter for Veracruz. Blanco announced on his Web site late Friday night he would sign with Irapuato in the Mexican second division.

Castillo is unusual among DPs because he is not nearing the end of his career, like Blanco, David Beckham or Thierry Henry, who just joined the New York Red Bulls.

"If you can get guys that still have a lot left to give, who are winners, who are committed to playing good soccer, who are committed to making the level of the game in this country better, that's important," Klopas said. "We don't want players that just want to come here to have a great time in the city of Chicago."

He's also known for having a short fuse, a quality that defenders Wilman Conde and C.J. Brown said could help the sometimes lifeless team.

"He's a player that has a strong personality, a strong temper, and that is going to help us out in a positive way," coach Carlos de los Cobos added.

Castillo was not named to coach Javier Aguirre's World Cup squad, but he has 6 goals in 21 caps for Mexico.

Castillo will become the Fire's only current Designated Player and second ever, following Blanco. Teams can sign up to three DPs at salaries above the individual maximum but with only part of the salaries counting against the league salary cap.

Castillo's first game is expected to be the Aug. 1 match at the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Klopas said the club remains in the hunt for a second and possibly even a third DP.