roja, BLANCO, y verde

Tonight marks Blanco’s return to international duty the Mexican National Team. Sven-Göran Eriksson has given the nod to Blanco for tonight’s World Cup qualifier against Honduras, edging him ever closer to his illustrious 100th cap.

Is this a pity gift to a player who is clearly entering the twilight of his career, or does Sven honestly believe Temo has enough gas left in the tank to be effective on a global stage for El Tri? It seems teams in the MLS have finally figured out how to contain him as of late while playing for the Fire. Mostly by fouling him repeatedly, though his penchant for divery certainly feeds right into it, and draws plenty of set pieces. However, most go unconverted, and as a result Blanco is without a single point since the 2-1 loss to D.C. United on June 7th. If you do the math folks, that’s a whopping 10 games (not including his MVP worthy performance in the MLS All-Start match vs. West Ham United).

Will wearing the Mexican badge pump some new life into those old legs? Will he dazzle fans once again with back heel passes and acrobatic antics? Will he even get off the bench?

We shall see.