Chicago Fire Need Spark
From Wanchope
Costa Rican striker
Paulo Wanchope
officially joined the
Chicago Fire Soccer team
on Friday, becoming the
second international
star to sign with the
team this season,
joining Mexico's
Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
He is expected to make
his Fire debut against
the Columbus Crew next
Saturday at Toyota Park
and will wear No. 12.
Wanchope (pronounced
wahn-CHO-peh) should
have no trouble
assimilating to the
United States after
having lived in San
Diego as an exchange
student. He was an
outstanding basketball
player in high school
with scholarship offers
from UNLV and Michigan
State. Instead, he
returned to Costa Rica
to pursue soccer.
Terms of the deal were
not disclosed. Wanchope
is Costa Rica's all-time
leading international
scorer with 45 goals in
72 games.
He retired from the
national team after the
2006 World Cup to
concentrate on his club
career.
He played most recently
with Japan's FC Tokyo
but left in June saying
on his Web site he never
adapted to his coach's
style of play.
The striker spent a
large part of his career
in the English Premier
League, playing for
Derby County, West Ham
United and Manchester
City before joining
Spain's Malaga CF in
2004.
It was at Manchester
City that Wanchope
developed a relationship
with Fire head coach
Juan Carlos Osorio, who
was an assistant there.
"I'm very happy to come
here," said Wanchope,
who turns 31 Tuesday. "I
know Juan Carlos from a
long time ago, so I know
he's a very good coach.
The setup in Chicago
will help me regain my
level of the game.
"The interest to come
here was to have a new
experience and I saw the
connection with Juan
Carlos and that was the
key."
Osorio said Wanchope's
résumé appealed to the
Fire.
"He's a good target
man," Osorio said of the
6-foot-4-inch Wanchope.
"He's a strong athlete
and holds the ball well.
Most importantly, he has
scored goals at every
level—including the
World Cup."
During the opening game
of the 2006 World Cup,
Wanchope proved to be a
handful for Germany's
defense as he scored two
goals in a 4-2 loss to
the host country.
His biggest flaw:
inconsistency.
The Fire has lacked
scoring since forward
Chris Rolfe was
sidelined with an ankle
injury in mid-May.
The team has been shut
out in six of its last
nine games, going 1-5-3.
"For a team that's
sitting in last place in
the Eastern Conference,
the excitement and
morale in the locker
room is so high you
would think we were in
first place," Fire
general manager John
Guppy said.
Rolfe expects to return
in early August while
midfielder Justin Mapp
could return from his
groin injury soon. With
Rolfe and Wanchope up
top and Mapp and Blanco
pushing the ball, the
Fire should have one of
the best attacks in
Major League Soccer.
Defender Jim Curtin was
placed on the
season-ending injury
list.
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