Really, don't waste time worrying about Blanco
C'mon, what's the big deal?
Last week Fire forward Cuauhtémoc Blanco told a Chicago Spanish-language newspaper that he doesn't expect to return to the Fire next season.
Forget for a moment that this season just started and there's still plenty of room for speculating about 2009.
Did anyone really expect Blanco to be back in 2010?
The man is 36 years old now and didn't exactly move like a ballerina when he was 26. He has come off the bench in each of this season's first two games - due to injury, coach Denis Hamlett says; due to coach's decision, a seemingly miffed Blanco says - and he looked even less mobile than he did in 2008. The man plays virtually no defense, and he contributed little offense in the middle of last season.
Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto ran circles around Blanco in the Eastern Conference championship game last season. Nobody who saw that game would pick Blanco for their team instead of Schelotto, 35.
He has a lot of miles on him, particularly in the last few seasons, but we mean that in terms of games played, not ground covered. He also owns the highest salary in the league, $2.94 million, at least until David Beckham returns from his Italian vacation.
The goal he scored in the waning moments of the Dallas game was a beaut, but it came off a set piece, when everybody else stood still. The rest of the time Blanco was in the game, it was him seeming to stand still, as Dallas defenders stripped him of the ball.
In Saturday's draw at D.C. United, Blanco's best move was to charge at Ben Olsen and flop to the ground in hopes of drawing a foul call against Olsen. It was comical and ineffective.
If either of Chicago's two senior citizens - a colleague points out that Blanco and Brian McBride's combined age is 72 - is likely to return next season, it's McBride, who looks more fit than some of the Fire's 20-somethings.
The Fire did well without Blanco in the starting lineup. Getting 4 standings points on the road to start the season ain't bad. Second-year forward Patrick Nyarko had a key assist in Dallas, starting upfront alongside McBride, and the game-tying goal in the nation's capital. Nyarko is so fast, he could spot Blanco 30 yards and still win a 40-yard dash. And the kid is only getting better and more confident.
It's been a great luxury for Hamlett to have talents like Blanco and Chris Rolfe to bring off the bench. Speedster Calen Carr can comfortably continue to rehabilitate from last year's ACL injury, knowing he's not needed yet. He'll return in a month or two.
You want to speculate about 2010? Wonder if McBride will come back. Think about the possibility of Nery Castillo replacing Blanco as the Fire's Designated Player (assuming MLS owners extend the program) and becoming the reason for Mexican fans to flock to Toyota Park.
You want to think about Blanco? Ask yourself this: Did he stay a season too long?
oschwarz@dailyherald.com