Blanco walks on mild side

The first time Cuauhtemoc Blanco spoke to Los Angeles media as an MLS player, Rock en Español band legends Heroes del Silencio (Heroes of the Silence) played a concert at the Home Depot Center.

What a coincidence.

Blanco, now a member of the Chicago Fire, has been a lightning rod for controversy throughout his 17-year career -- from his public fights with the coach of Mexico's national team to his on-field tantrums. Yet on Friday the former Club America forward turned into a kind of hero of silence at a news conference to promote his first, and probably only, MLS game here this season, tonight against Western Conference leader Chivas USA at Home Depot Center.

He gave no great sound bites and didn't offer reporters any juicy quotes. He didn't talk negatively about Chivas, or anything else for that matter. For a player who is known for screaming at referees, he was downright quiet.

Reporter (in Spanish): Regardless of what jersey you're wearing, does playing Chivas, or a team that represents Chivas . . . does it give you any extra fire?

Blanco (in Spanish): "Nothing in particular. This is just another game. I don't know if people from Chivas or if the press wants to make it out to be a Clasico," as when Chivas Guadalajara and America play in Mexico, "but a Clasico takes many years. America-Chivas has more than two decades, that's why there is more passion."

He kept his answers short and without controversy. The exception perhaps came in response to a question on immigration, when Blanco said, "Even if they put up a wall between us, we are intelligent enough to find a way to jump it."

Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez said Blanco has changed.

"Cuauhtemoc has gotten a lot better in terms of that he's a calmer player," he said. "In Mexico they would try to get him riled up, but now he's more tranquil. He's a very mature player."

Maturity is not usually associated with a player known as much for his soccer skills as for being tabloid fodder by dating TV personalities, which has only made him more popular.

Chicago Fire midfielder Chris Armas, a former U.S. national team member who has often played against Blanco at the international level, said media in Chicago had questioned whether Blanco's temperament would fit in with the team.

But "now that we've had him for a few months, you can't say one bad thing about him," Armas said. "He's the life of our locker room, and in his own language. It's unbelievable the presence he has in our locker room."