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Argentine Star Signed by Crew
Topic Started: Monday Apr 16 2007, 05:47 PM (142 Views)
Cougar
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This is good for the league.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writ...otto/index.html

Quote:
 
A winning gamble
Signing of Barros Schelotto bodes well for Crew, MLS
Posted: Monday April 16, 2007 1:02PM; Updated: Monday April 16, 2007 3:31PM

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Guillermo Barros Schelotto is on his way to Major League Soccer. The Argentine superstar will join the Columbus Crew on a one-year deal that will be announced on Tuesday, according to his representative Gustavo Goñi.

Let's get the obvious out of the way: Guillermo Barros Schelotto is no David Beckham. But in a lot of ways, he's an even bigger prize for MLS.

Of course, most MLS fans have little to no idea who Barros Schelotto even is. He's certainly not the glitzy media hound Beckham is, at least not internationally. But in Argentina, he's one of the biggest cult heroes in the game's history.

Guillermo received a conquering warrior's send-off on Sunday, when he made a late appearance for Boca Juniors in Argentina's Superclásico, the stage on which he flourished for a decade. But instead of moving to a bigger club in Europe or Mexico, he went for the unthinkable: joining the Columbus Crew as MLS' latest high-profile signing.

When the Crew officially confirm the deal, they surely won't be as excited as the Los Angeles Galaxy were in January when they signed Beckham. After all, Barros Schelotto doesn't have much in common with Becks.

But Barros Schelotto has something that's even the envy of a superstar like Beckham: trophies. Lots of them. His impressive record at Boca Juniors speaks for itself. "Guille" has won 17 titles, the most of any player in the history of Argentine professional soccer. That includes six league championships, three Copa Libertadores crowns, two Intercontinental Cups and two Copa Sudamericana trophies. During his 10 years at Boca, he scored 87 goals in 303 matches and helped transform the team into one of the leading clubs in the world.

The implementation of the designated-player rule rule by MLS last November allowed the Crew to attract an icon who is looked up to like a god by the supporters of Argentina's most popular club. The most significant thing about the deal is that Columbus was able to do what higher-profile foreign clubs haven't. Since Barros Schelloto moved to Boca in 1997, he turned down numerous offers to leave the club -- until now.

That says a lot for MLS' growth and international reputation, as well as its appeal to international superstars. Columbus promised him a more than reasonable deal that assures significantly less pressure and exposure to the press than at any other Latin American club. He had several opportunities to move to second-tier clubs in Spain and Argentina, but felt he needed "a change of air."

His gamble seems worthwhile, although the process could get off to a slow start. After all, the Crew are a small-market team that finished with MLS' worst record last season, and it's too early to tell if they can turn it around this year. Obviously, there's no way Guillermo will be able to generate as much interest as Beckham, even if he scores a hat trick in every game this season.

But the move should work in the long term. The Crew are desperately in need of a player with Guillermo's big-stage background. He has the experience to take the club to the next level, and although he won't succeed in drawing in crowds right from the beginning, his skill and fiery temper are likely to win him respect.

At Boca, he earned a status similar to mega-superstars such as Diego Maradona and Juan Román Riquelme. But MLS is like starting from scratch. Apart from the minority of fans who tune into Argentine soccer and tournaments like the Libertadores, Guillermo is a relatively unknown commodity.

American sports fans love their flamboyant icons -- stars like the NBA's Ben Wallace, the NFL's Chad Johnson, baseball's Manny Ramirez and, when he arrives, probably Beckham, too. Guillermo isn't on a level with these guys, but if he's able to make his mark on this league, he has the tools to become a fan favorite. He will always be remembered at Boca for his performances during the Superclásico showdowns with River Plate, and could come in handy for the Crew as a player who rises to the big occasion.

If Columbus' gamble works, it could set a new trend for MLS. The league has had a handful of Argentines on its rosters during its 12 years of operation, but the only real superstar has been D.C. United's Christian Gómez, last season's MVP.

If Guillermo is able to build on Gómez's success, the popularity of MLS could increase in Argentina and throughout South America. When former Boca icon Carlos Tévez transferred to Corinthians in '04, the popularity of Brazilian soccer skyrocketed in Argentina. Barros Schelotto is a bigger celebrity than Tévez, and Argentine fans will follow Guillermo's venture as well.

The biggest concern, however, could be his age. Guillermo turns 34 in May, and he clearly isn't the player he once was. So far this season, he hadn't seen much first-team action at Boca, which is stocked with fresh talent. But the good news for the Crew is that he still has a lot to give, especially when it means passing on his vast knowledge to the younger squad members, as he did at Boca.

Since '04, Guillermo was primarily used as a role model for Boca's strikers. International superstars such as Tévez, Martín Palermo, Rodrigo Palacio and even Riquelme looked up to Barros Schelotto for inspiration and advice as they looked to establish themselves in the Boca first team.

That's exactly what the Crew are hoping to get from him. Like Beckham, Barros Schelotto has the potential to pass on his first-rate skills to Columbus' emerging talents, such as strikers Jason Garey and Andy Herron.

What Guillermo is looking for is an opportunity to play on a regular basis, something the Crew are definitely going to give him. They may not be good enough to fight for the MLS Cup this season, but Barros Schelotto's experience is priceless -- he's likely to help the Crew in their aims to increase their status in a fast-growing league.

Guillermo is clearly motivated by his newest challenge. It remains to be seen how much of an impact he'll make on MLS. But if things turn out as planned, the Crew could be celebrating their greatest victory yet.
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WeatherManNX01
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The Yanks are coming!

Wow, there has been an exodus of players from their clubs to MLS this offseason. Beckham, Reyna...Chicago and Kansas City recently signed some rather well-known players.... I think this will all be very good for MLS. MLS is increasing in popularity at home with the big-name players and abroad with the increasing quality of play and profile of the league. I think that soon, instead of seeing players leaving MLS for prestigious European teams, we will see them coming to MLS. I wonder if Clint Dempsey is yet rethinking his decision to leave the Revs. ;)
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