Does Toronto really want McBride? How about the Chicago players?

Brian McBride is coming back to MLS, that much we know. The question now seems to be where will he land.

Early indications seem to be that he wants to play for Chicago, his hometown team, but first he would need to get Toronto to let go of his rights. So does Toronto really want McBride?

TFC general manager Mo Johnston is being coy about it saying the team 'needs another striker' but also pointing out that they are, 'sitting on a little pot of gold here.' So is Mo just trying to get the offers up or might TFC be serious?

Meanwhile in Chicago, at least one player is a little concerned about the addition of McBride to their roster.

"If [McBride] is asking for designated player money ($400,000 or more), players might get moved or traded or dropped," Fire forward Chad Barrett said. "There's a good chance he would take my spot, but I think I've gotten off to a good start and am contributing. The coaching staff knows that."

With the way the Fire have played this season, a change might not be the best idea. Then again, I think most people would pick a McBride over a Barrett any day (no offense).

But there is another factor in this move that needs to be resolved. If McBride is going for designated player money, Chicago will need to pickup another DP slot* as they are using their slot for Blanco. So not only would the Fire need to give something to Toronto for McBride's rights, they would also need to give up something else to get the second DP spot. That's a lot to surrender, but maybe we now know why coach Denis Hamlett packed his team with forwards during the off season.

As far as salary cap space, Toronto looks to be close to their limit, so they would probably need to clear about $300k to make space for the $400k portion of McBride's DP salary, while Chicago would only need to free up about $100k. (Allocation money might make these numbers a little different)

My guess is the MLS really wants McBride and McBride really wants Chicago, so the league will find a way to make this happen. Just think how much the MLS brass would love to promote the Blanco-McBride connection. Two legends from the US-Mexico national teams coming together in Chicago.

* Under MLS rules are teams received one designated player slot that they can use to sign a player for more then a $400k a year salary or trade to any other club. Only the first $400k of the player’s salary counts towards the team’s salary cap. No team can have more then two designated players.

Brian McBride coming home to MLS

Brian McBride has decided to leave England and return stateside. Fulham hoped McBride would stick around for another season, but he decided now was the best time. He made over 150 appearances for the Cottagers and netted 40 goals.

"After much consideration with my family, we have decided to leave Fulham after four and a half fantastic years," the 35-year-old forward said in a statement Wednesday on the club's Web site. "I have always stated my intention to return to America at some stage and this seems like the right moment in my career to move on."
...
"I take great pride in the fact that my last appearance for Fulham saw the club maintain its Premier League status," McBride said. "I leave with some wonderful memories from my time at Fulham, and the club will always be in my heart."

As I said a couple weeks ago, I would have preferred he stay in England because he was a constant bright spot for American's aboard, however that is a very selfish reason. McBride is an outstanding player and a wonderful person who has more then earned all the praise that comes his way. His desire to return home to give his final quality years to his nation's league speaks volumes.

As far as his future home in the MLS, who knows where he might end up. Toronto has his rights, but Chicago is often mentioned as his landing spot (he grew up in the area). I'm sure ever Fire fan would love McBride teaming up with Blanco, but as a commenter said, 'in the grand scheme of what is right and wrong, his place is in Columbus.' It would be very strange to see him in MLS and not in a Crew uniform. Still, if he wants to play for his hometown club, I think even the hardest Crew supporter would understand.

So welcome home McBride, I, like thousands of other US soccer fans, look forward to watching you play.

Blanco-Edu fight - Has the real Blanco finally showed up

When Cuauhtemoc Blanco signed with the Chicago Fire last year many of us wondered how many red cards he would earn. In a huge surprise, he got none during his 14 games and only earned 3 yellows. So has Blanco let go of his John McEnroe type image? In a quick answer, no.

During last night's exhibition game with Toronto FC, Blanco and Maurice Edu nearly came to blows in the first 15-minutes. Then later in the match, Blanco got into a shoving match with Ronnie O'Brien. Finally, the real Blanco has landed on US shores.

The Mexican striker was so fed up with Toronto's Maurice Edu in the first 15 minutes that he slammed into him with his shoulder. Edu responded by taking a swing at Blanco, which failed to connect. The two players were restrained and then given yellow cards.

Things remained heated throughout the match, with Blanco later shoving Toronto's Ronnie O'Brien because he thought O'Brien was fouling him. Even players from the Fire's bench exchanged words with Toronto players in the match.

Blanco is a very talented player but his lack of flair ups last year seemed a bit strange. A big part of Blanco's game is the psychological tricks he plays on opponents, trying to get them overheated, hoping it leads to either a mistake or a card. It appears he will not be continuing this trend in season number two.

By the way, the game ended 1-1 with Calen Carr getting the Fire goal while the first overall pick from the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft Jarrod Smith evened it up for Toronto.

Denilson gone, what did MLS learn from the first DP failure?

On Friday, Denilson made it official, he is done with FC Dallas as he signed with Brazilian side Palmeiras. It is no shock that he is gone as FCD basically told him take a big pay cut, thus no longer being a designated player or don't come back. Since Denilson likes to make money, he decided to move along.

So what lessons can be learned from the first departure of a designated player? Basically don't bring a high profile player into a system that does work well with that player. Also, just because a player was on a World Cup winning team doesn't mean it will make a difference on the pitch or in the stands.

FC Dallas had a pretty tight midfield during much of the first part of the 2007 season, but then it all started to fall apart in September. This was not due to Denilson alone, as they also had some injury issues, but his odd fit with their style didn't help. He tried some fancy footwork, but his passing was off and his fitness never really seemed right. The fact that the team went from battling for the Supporters' Shield to middle of the playoff pack during Denilson's time with the club shows that things were not right.

In the end, someone was bound to make a poor choice with their designated player spot (I'm sure some New York fans will argue that Reyna is another example of this), so let's just hope the league as a whole learns from this.

When Beckham and Blanco were signed, some called it NASL part 2, but both these players accomplished what the league wants from DPs (ticket sales and pitch play (okay Becks hasn't done much on the second one yet)), while other DPs, Angel and to a lesser degree Reyna, at least made something happen on the field. Denilson did neither and seemed to just be around for the paycheck. The good news is FCD was able to cut their losses quickly thanks to a smart second year option in the contract.

With Denilson gone, that means the league again has five DPs.

New England Revolution wins the East, look for the double

Chicago Fire 0-1 New England Revolution

Chicago's lack of finishing finally did them in as the Revs return to MLS Cup for the fourth time in six years. Overall, the match was lacking in excitement as both sides suffered from poor passing in the final third, but the real story is the lack of quality shots on goal the Fire had. Of their 10 on target shots, only two forced Matt Reis to make any sort of effort to stop them.

Blanco was mostly invisible on the evening thanks in large part to referee Kevin Stott. Since a large part of Blanco's game is based on getting calls from the ref, if the ref ain't calling', it just ain't happening. But Blanco was not the only player lacking. Other then some quality saves by Matt Pickens the team was a wash.

The Twellman goal was excellent, but overall, the Revs were a bit caged, but that is sort of their style.

As far as the ESPN call, it did not add anything to the excitement level. Even though they talked a large amount about the game, overall, it was just filler and enough about Boston being the city of champions. We got it the first time.

Goal: Taylor Twellman (2) 38'
Attendance: 10,317 (not very good at all)

2007 Eastern Conference Championship - Chicago vs. New England

Chicago Fire vs. New England Revolution
7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT
TV: ESPN2

Tonight decides who will represent the Eastern Conference in MLS Cup 2007. Will it be the hard charging, Blanco fueled, giant killers Chicago Fire or the always dependable, Matt Reis backed New England Revolution?

Without a doubt, Chicago has had a good run of form over the last couple months, but it really has not been as impressive as it sounds. Yes, they have not lost in their last 10 league matches, however, six of those games ended in ties and they scored one goal or less in seven of them. It makes for a good record but when you are in a must win situation, it doesn't hold up as well.

The Revolution have had a bit of a bumpier ride in terms of results and they looked a little soft against New York in the first round, but overall, they hold a number of key advantages. First, they are playing on turf in their own house. Second, they have a goalkeeper who is getting close to top form. Third, they have multiple scoring options. Fourth, unlike DC, injuries are not hurting a number of key players.

All of these will make Chicago's job extremely difficult, but there biggest issue is the same one they have had all year, failure to score. The Fire have the fewest goals of any playoff team (31) and are second worse when compared to the league as a whole (TFC holds the bottom spot at 25). This lack of attack, especially up against a keeper like Matt Reis, is what will doom them.

On the other side of things, the Revs have one of the most productive offensives in the league and with seven of their regular starters having two or more goals, this productivity is not limited to one area. This will force Chicago to pull players back behind the ball, meaning they will again be counting on break aways and counter attacks to see them through this match.

A very telling thing to look at concerning the Fire is the way they played in the first leg of the DC series. When they went up a goal, they said that they were going to push it in order to get a second. But what happened? The team didn't know how to push forward and instead they wasted the clock and helm off a limping United. So even when they decided to push forward, they could not.

Without a doubt Blanco will play a major role in Chicago's night, but which Blanco will it be? Will it be the Blanco from the first leg who gave away the ball over 40 times or the Blanco of the second leg who was placing the balls were needed and catching the United defense cheating? But the center of attention might not be the most important person to watch as the Fire will need Chad Barrett and Chris Rolfe roaming into the final third regularly if they hope to beat Reis.

The Revs will call on one of the best midfields in the league to dictate this game. Steve Ralston and Andy Dorman have made trouble for their opposition all season with Jeff Larentowicz and Khano Smith adding a great fight to the center. On defense, Michael Parkhurst has been making a case for international duty with his 'defend hard, defend everywhere' style while Jay Heaps likes to get involved when numbers are needed. Combine all this will Pat Noonan and Taylor Twellman and you have all the makings of a whooping.

Chciago might be able to hold off that whooping due to their strong defensive work, however that normally is the result of keeping 10-players behind the ball, meaning that if they go down to the Revs, their style will open up as they push forward, resulting in more possible chances for New England.

Predictions:
Me: CF 0-2 NE
Wife : CF 2-1 NE
But the wife did not stop there, she predicts that NE will go up a goal in the first half hour, Chicago will tie it just a few minutes after halftime and get the winner sometime between the 82-86'. Specific enough for you?

Wall Street Journal on Beckham - How to miss everything and just rewrite the same story

The every so wonderful Wall Street Journal blares the headline David Beckham's Injury Hurts More Than Just the Soccer Star. See if you can guess, without reading a single line, how this story goes.

If you guessed that Beckham's absence is killing the league, you are correct.

While reading this piece by Stephen Barbara, I had to keep checking the date because it seemed like something from August, not October. Read this paragraph about his August 29th injury and tell me when you think it was penned:

The latest news is the most significant yet. Mr. Beckham was diagnosed with a sprained right knee, suffered in the Galaxy's Aug. 29 SuperLiga final loss to Pachuca, and will be out of action for as long as 10 weeks, the rest of the Galaxy's season. Make no mistake: His injury is indeed disastrous news for the Galaxy, a nightmare for MLS, and extreme ill fortune for American soccer.

Anyway, let's look at Barbara's reasons for why this is such a major hit for MLS and soccer in America: "Business will be affected: attendance, ticket sales, merchandising, network ratings, buzz. With no Beckham on the field, there will be no Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in the stands, no Los Angeles where the hot ticket is to a Galaxy game."

The problem with the attendance (and thus ticket sales) argument is average MLS attendance has stayed steady (actually it has grown) since Beckham was injured. The average attendance to matches through the end of August was 15,942, but after this past weekend the average number stands at 16,432 (this is for the whole season, weekly numbers are also up). So the season average number went up 3% , which is even more amazing when you look back at the last 10 or so seasons of MLS as the average attendance decreased during the tail end of the season.

But what about merchandising? LA has sold around 500,000 jerseys with Beckham playing only a few games so do you really think the number of jerseys sold is equal to the amount of play? And just because the star isn't playing right now, people are smart enough to figure out that he will play again. I could see the possibility that if Beckham was on the pitch a few more would be sold, but injuries happen in any sport yet the main players always seem to sell jerseys.

The last two items (network ratings and buzz) might be the most likely to have been hit, however the ESPN2 ratings for MLS have remained about the same as what they were last year, even for the league game Becks played in, so maybe there might be a different reason for the problem. The one game that did see a noticeable up in ratings was the LA-Chelsea friendly. Now what was different about that one? Well it featured a big international team, it was Becks premiere, it was on a Saturday evening and ESPN promoted it heavily. Since the first three reasons cannot be repeated, perhaps the bigger one to look at is the promotion by the networks.

Mr. Barbara also says, "Mr. Beckham's absence will be a blow to the ailing Galaxy."

Again, doesn't this sound like something from August? The month of September was the best month of the season for the Galaxy. There went 4-3-1 for 13 points. It is true that Beckham would bring something else to the team, but when you look at results, it is hard to say his absence has been a blow.

Finally, Mr. Barbara tells of the woes facing American soccer because the best American talent goes to Europe to play while no other big names, except for Blanco, have come to the US.

Meantime, there are disturbing trends in American soccer. Such promising young talents as Carlos Bocanegra, Freddy Adu and Clint Dempsey are going abroad to Europe to ply their trade. And with the notable exception of Mexican player Cuauhtemoc Blanco, the signing of Mr. Beckham has not caused a string of new marquee arrivals to MLS.

The best players in the world are going to Europe to play soccer, that is one heck of a disturbing trend indeed. I'm sure Brazil, Argentina and all of Africa is worried about this one as well. Did Mr. Barbara really think the signing of one player would suddenly make MLS the best league in the world? The fact of the matter is obvious, the best soccer (for the most part) is played in Europe so that is where the young talent goes so they can develop into the best players possible. Perhaps in a decade things will be different, but for now, the game is as it is and MLS is not on the level of top European leagues.

As far as signing other big names, Mr. Barbara doesn't mention Angel, Reyna and Denilson. They might not be the big names like Beckham and Blanco but Mr. Barbara seems to forget what the main reason for signing a designated player should be; results. Denilson has yet to produce any such results with Dallas, but Reyna and Angel have been very vital to making New York into a quality side this year and what do you know, the team's attendance numbers are up.

There are only a handful of players like Becks and Blanco (big names that still have some play left in them) and the fact that MLS has both says a lot. Also, this is only the first year of the dp rule, so suggesting it has failed is a little early.

So just how plagiarized is this piece from the hundreds that have come before? Well it ends with a dig at, wait for it, Victoria Beckham. Wow, the originality that falls from the pages of the mighty Wall Street Journal is amazing.

But enough of that. Mr. Barbara is right to suggest that things would be different if Beckham was playing right now, however he is very wrong in suggesting that the league is taking a big hurt from his absence. Perhaps he is one of the people who thought that Beckham would overnight make soccer into America's game and if so, I can understand his disillusion. However, Mr. Barbara needs to look past such thoughts and see what is actually going on. There are millions of soccer fans already in the US but, for whatever reason, a large percentage of them do not follow MLS. One of the main hopes of signing Beckham and Blanco was to catch those eyes and let them know that some quality ball is getting played right here. MLS doesn't so much need to turn people into soccer fans as much as they need to turn soccer fans into MLS fans. The verdict is still out on if they have done that but looking at some early data, it suggests that it might just be happening.

Chicago Fire 1-1 FC Dallas - How not to kill off a match

Chicago Fire 1-1 FC Dallas

So what do you think the Fire coaching staff is talking to Calen Carr and Paulo Wanchope about today? If it is anything but how to keep the ball and waste time at the end of a match, then the Fire are doomed. This was not a pretty game as neither side had much ball control. Again and again, passes were intercepted and knocked out of bounce.

Dallas did start strong, but then they faded. Carlos Ruiz is getting a lot of cheer for the late goal, but he was absent for much of the rest of the game. It is great to see Toja back, but his skill is not yet at the level it was before the injury. Then there is Denilson who didn't really do anything for the full 90. He is still new to the club, so he is trying to find his flow, but I was surprised that he didn't pop to life at some point. But somehow it was all okay as Dario Sala had a really strong performance in front of the net while Clarence Goodson carried most of the heavy lifting. Sure Goodson is a bit of a hot head at times, but he does know how to do what needs to be done (a little like Michael Bradley).

Chicago has got to be kicking themselves over this one. On a night where Blanco finely looked his age (not a good thing), they still managed to hold a 1-0 lead deep into stoppage time, only to see two points disappear. Matt Pickens had a good night between the posts, CJ Brown made some big moves and Chris Rolfe's blast was heart stopping, but other then that, the side was flat. But the thing that confused me the most was the way they ended it. Calen Carr has tons of energy, but why didn't he go to a corner and force a foul? Did he not get any instructions from the coaching staff telling him to hold it? If not, what were the coaches thinking.

Dallas is not a dominant team like DC, but there is one thing they know how to do much better then just about anyone in the league and that is come back late. I can think of at least three games where they have got stoppage time goals and a couple others where they scored late in regular time, so if it was the coaching staff that failed to initiate the 'kill the game' strategy, one has to wonder what hope the Fire have.

So how bad is it that Chicago failed to get the full three points? They are only two points up on Colorado for the final playoff spot with five games remaining, but two of those games are against DC, one is at home to New England and one is on at Chivas. There is a good chance that they will get 3 points or less from those four matches. The only good news for them is they end the season with LA.

The Crew have a slightly easier time as they go to Toronto, face LA and Dallas at home and then end on the road to New England and DC. This schedule should allow them to get 6 points (and maybe a couple more) for the rest of the year.

But the Fire's real concern is Colorado who have two matches against Real Salt Lake and one at home against Toronto FC, plus road games at New England and Chivas. Real is improved and Toronto can always surprise, but of the three in the race, the Rapids have the best chance on paper. It is not hard to image the club getting 9 points from this schedule and beating Chicago for the final spot by just one point.

If the Fire misses the playoffs this year, the final five minutes in Dallas will be one of the major reasons why.

Goals: CF: Chris Rolfe (5) 56'
FCD: Carlos Ruiz (7) 93+'
Attendance: 15,059

Thursday Night Soccer - Chicago vs. Dallas - Blanco to let it all hang out

Chicago Fire (8-10-6) vs. FC Dallas (12-9-3)
8pm ET/5pm PT
TV: ESPN2
All eyes will be on Cuauhtemoc Blanco tonight as ESPN brings back their Beckham cam, but with a Mexican flare. For the full 90-minutes, there will be a camera trained on Blanco as he looks to give Chicago their first victory in Dallas since Independence Day 1999. What a dry spell it has been.

In addition, the Brimstone Cup is back up for grabs with the Fire needing a victory to keep FCD from claiming it. But the bigger prize both teams will be looking for is playoff positioning. It would take a major train wreck to keep FCD out of the post season, but his game is still mighty important because if they drop it, their chances of taking the West are all but gone, which could easily mean a third place finish. Then again, this might be for the best because there would be next to no way they could face Colorado in the first round.

The Fire sit in the final playoff spot by just a point, but with one game (this one) in hand. So this is their chance to start closing that door. Anything less then a full three points give Colorado and Columbus hope, which the Fire don't want to see happen.

So what needs to be done? Simple, the Fire need to find someone to finish things. Blanco has been doing a lot of the lifting, but he needs a good target. Paulo Wanchope has moments and Calen Carr has energy, but neither one of them have the kill in them. Because of this, there should be a lot of long-range shots, which might work out for the Fire since Dario Sala is having trouble in goal for Dallas.

FCD has a DP of their own in Denilson, but he has yet to take a major role in the team (not a surprise since he hasn't even been with them a month), but this could be his night. The Fire have a good defense, but they do miss marks and can be surprised on counters or surprise play. If Denilson uses some of his better ball work, he could send them in the wrong direction and open things up. Still, he will need another player to step up to take some of the heat. Carlos Ruiz should be that player, but even though he looked solid on Saturday, he has still been off for the season.

There is another possibility for Dallas in the form of Toja, but even if he does see minutes, he is just getting off the injury list so it might not be as strong as it could be.

Overall, both these teams suffer from a lack of goal scoring and, at times, very sloppy defense. Odds are there will be a lot of build up with very little pay off, but one goal will not be enough to win it. The Fire need this game more so look for them to come out pushing early (hoping to catch Dallas sleeping in the first 15-minutes). If no goal comes of that, it will be a long slog.

Predictions: Me CF 1-1 FCD, Wife CF 1-2 FCD

Chicago Fire want Costa Rican striker Paulo Wanchope

The Fire are looking to beef up their very thin attack with the signing of Paulo Wanchope. Wanchope is one of the best strikers ever produced by Costa Rica and at the age of 30, still has a number of quality years ahead of him. However, Wanchope does have a history of under performing as seen by his recent release from FC Tokyo.

If this does happen, it will be up to new Fire coach Juan Carlos Osorioto make this happen. The good news, Osorioto has a coaching history with Wanchope as he was conditioning manager at Manchester City for while Paulo was with the club.

As a player, Wanchope would need to force defenders to stay deep, thus opening up the midfield for Cuauhtémoc Blanco and if Blanco has time, Chicago will be in a good place.

"Who makes the most in MLS?" Brought to you by Becks millions.

Major League Soccer's Players Union has released this year's salaries. It should come a no surprise that the team with the largest payroll is LA thanks to David Beckham, who is the top earner in the league.

Anyway, here are the team numbers:

Team	Base Salary	Guaranteed Compensation
1. Los Angeles Galaxy	$8,056,188.83	$9,179,948.56
2. New York Red Bulls	$4,334,615.50	$4,896,656.83
3. Chicago Fire	$4,185,825.50	$4,464,612.50
4. Kansas City Wizards	$2,429,925.00	$2,625,050.00
5. Real Salt Lake	$2,168,437.25	$2,602,531.00
6. Toronto FC	$2,174,290.00	$2,497,378.50
7. Colorado Rapids	$2,322,113.75	$2,431,763.75
8. FC Dallas	$1,992,803.75	$2,385,628.75
9. DC United	$2,171,178.00	$2,328,503.00
10. Houston Dynamo	$2,184,349.00	$2,260,349.00
11. New England Revolution	$1,992,948.00	$2,087,948.00
12. Columbus Crew	$1,807,199.19	$2,064,349.19
13. Chivas USA	$1,757,875.08	$1,893,125.08
Totals	$35,584,945	$44,717,850

Chivas USA has a very small payroll, but it is actually less then what is reflected in the chart now that $291,250 Amado Guevara has left the club.

Here are the top ten paid players in MLS:

Player	Team	Guaranteed Compensation
1. David Beckham	LA	$6,500,000
2. Cuauhtemoc Blanco	Chicago	$2,666,778
3. Juan Pablo Blanco	NY	$1,593,750
4. Claudio Reyna	NY	$1,250,008
5. Landon Donovan	LA	$900,000
6. Eddie Johnson	KC	$875,000
7. Freddy Adu	RSL	$550,000
8. Carlos Ruiz	FCD	$435,000
9. Clint Mathis	NY	$410,000
10. Taylor Twellman	NE	$350,008

Again, no shock that Beckham is making the most. Actually, Becks will make more this season then the total salaries for Chivas USA, the Columbus Crew and the New England Revolution combined.

Now lets look at pay by position.

Forward

Player	Team	Guaranteed Compensation
1. Cuauhtemoc Blanco	Chicago	$2,666,778
2. Juan Pablo Blanco	NY	$1,593,750
3. Landon Donovan	LA	$900,000
4. Eddie Johnson	KC	$875,000
5. Carlos Ruiz	FCD	$435,000

Midfielder

Player	Team	Guaranteed Compensation
1. David Beckham	LA	$6,500,000
2. Claudio Reyna	NY	$1,250,008
3. Freddy Adu	RSL	$550,000
4. Clint Mathis	NY	$410,000
5. Ronnie O'Brien	TFC	$258,750

Amado Guevara of Chivas was in fifth till he left the league.

Defender

Player	Team	Guaranteed Compensation
1. Pablo Mastroeni	CR	$298,000
2. Eddie Pope	RSL	$265,000
3. Greg Vanney	CR	$236,667
4. Jimmy Conrad	KC	$206,000
5. Ivan Guerrero	CF	$187,500

Goaltender

Player	Team	Guaranteed Compensation
1. Shaka Hislop	FCD	$220,800
2. Ronald Waterreus	NY	$200,000
3. Joe Cannon	LA	$192,000
4. Pat Onstad	HD	$168,000
5. Matt Reis	NE	$150,000

I guess if you want to get rich in MLS, being a goalie is not the way to do it. Interesting that Hislop is FCD's backup keeper. Their started Dario Sala earns almost half of what Hislop does at $119,875.

If you want the numbers for all the players, take a look here.

Chicago get Blanco

He might not be in his prime, but Cuauhtemoc Blanco is still a force and now he will apply his trade in Chicago.

After months of negotiations, the Fire has convinced Blanco to leave Mexico's Club America. Details of the deal have not been released, but previous statements seem to suggest he will earn $1.5-2.5 million a year.

With Blanco leading the attack from the middle, Chris Rolfe and Chad Barrett should have more then their share of through balls. The interesting question will be how Justin Mapp and Blanco work together. It really could turn into a lethal combination.

Blanco will not join MLS till the end of the Mexican season later this month. I can only guess how many more tickets they will sell with this move. Blanco is a legend in the Mexican game. His exclusion from last year's World Cup squad set off protests and filled fans with much anger.

Congrats to Chicago for signing him.