GOAL.COMMENTARY: Blanco's Absence To Blame For America Mess

Cuauhtemoc Blanco left America for MLS following a loss in the finals of the Clausura 2007 season. Since then, America have unraveled. It is no coincidence, says Goal.com's Andrea Martínez.

Mar 10, 2009 11:19:01 AM

More On :  America
America has been in a downwards spiral since the Apertura 2008. With a squad full of creative players it comes as a big surprise. Excuses have been thrown all around and the blame game has been played too often.

The bad streak started quickly in 2008. During the Clausura 2008 America ended dead last in the table with 11 points. They had let go of Cuauhtémoc Blanco to the Chicago Fire, and the main man of the team and the fans’ idol took the fighting spirit of America with them.
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Individual honors have been bestowed upon players, hailing them as the greats of not only Mexican football, but of North and South America's football. It must not be easy to achieve this by playing in a team that hangs with those about to be relegated. However, goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and striker Salvador Cabanas have done just that. Although they are fan favorites, they fail to inspire the team as Blanco once did.

To combat the losses the club has brought in several managers. Daniel Brailovsky was the one at the start of the storm. The team was a disaster underneath his stint and he was fired and replaced by Ramon Diaz who is perhaps the most responsible for the state of the club on the sporting side. He brought in many players that were useless for the America side. Diaz was fired too late, and in to try and control the damage came Jesus ‘Chucho’ Ramirez. Despite his ability to lead, America has not followed in a positive side.  


No one can deny that the state that America is in is very sad. Some players may have good performances, but even those rare feats are too few to save the club from further humiliation.

While America is a club that is either loved or hated, almost anyone can agree that their sorry state is not good for the Mexican league or the Mexican national team. Their players have been called up to the national team, but how much will they contribute? Does a player from that team have the mental capability to play at a higher international level than at a club? Losing week in and week out loss must be damaging.

At this time the Mexican league can be considered at best, mediocre. It is that mediocrity that keeps America afloat. Despite their bad results they still prevail simply because there are a few teams that are slightly worse than they are.  

In a league that is dominated by clashing media giants it’s almost guaranteed that Club America will stay in the league. However, their level will bring down all the clubs and the value of the players. The America situation doesn’t seem like it will get better any time soon. To help their careers players should be allowed to move.  

Guillermo Ochoa has been constantly linked with big name clubs such as Manchester United. Club America has refused to let him go. The team records don’t do him much favors, and if it continues like this will anyone continue to have interest in him? A goalkeeper doesn’t keep goals out by himself. His defenders too have a say on what goes in and America’s back line isn’t giving any favors to the much talented Ochoa. The young 'keeper may be a fan favorite, and he may be loyal to the club but he won’t be able to reach a high level of success if he continues with America.  

The solution to the America problem is hard to pin down. Several methods have been tried and they have failed. The way to possibly correct the problem is to go back to how things used to be. Simply put, bring Blanco back. Blanco may be older but he can still compete well. He has been doing it with the Chicago Fire and he showed that he still had the skills to play in the Mexican league with Santos in the Liguilla. Blanco’s spirit was what drove the American team. With his presence the team looked inspired, and that is what they’re missing; inspiration. Blanco played for the love of the club and most of the players at the moment don’t seem to believe in that power.

America needs a leader, and whether you love him or hate him, Blanco is the man.

Andrea Martínez covers Mexican soccer for Goal.com.

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