Guillermo Barros Schelotto is on his way to Major League Soccer. The Argentine superstar will join the Columbus Crew on a one-year deal with an option for a second year that will be announced this week, 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 15 titles with the club, 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 (although Guillermo apparently won't be a designated player). 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.
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 15 titles with the club, 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 (although Guillermo apparently won't be a designated player). 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.
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