Bofo to the Rescue? Not Quite.
I’m not gonna lie. I like Bofo. I’ve always been a fan of his game, his personality, his swagger and would immediately be online looking for his #99 long-sleeve CUSA jersey. When his name kept popping up a few years ago like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole, I was among the few that was secretly excited. The guy has the ability to change a game on his own and the technical skill to do damage in a league like MLS.
But time has flown by…and so has Bofo’s career.
The question that needs to be asked is whether this move was made to address the issues on the field or in the stands. Bofo’s still a recognizable face that MAY bring back fans to the seats. Problem is that CGUAD fans see him as a distant memory and a few now even see him as a relative outsider.
For a club that regularly moves players back and forth with CGUAD, you would think that at least a few well-known, albeit washed-up, CGUAD players would be shipped out to CUSA. It was a small trend that happened early on in the club’s history with the likes of Ramon Ramirez, Claudio Suarez, and Paco Palencia and the resulting attendance numbers were relatively decent compared to today’s standards. But ever since the attendance peak in 2006, those numbers have gradually fallen each and every season with no intention of addressing it with a well-known player. Bofo is one of the most recognizable names not just in Guadalajara, but in all of Mexico and should lift a few eyebrows of those in CUSA’s target demographic. It’s up to the FO to be rational (hah, right) and do a decent job marketing this new addition to the public.
On the field, CUSA lacked an attacker to partner up with Cubo Torres and finish Mauro Rosales’ services. I thought we could’ve done a WHOLE lot better than Bofo. (Im a sucker for rumors and fell for the whole Samuel Eto’o transfer gossip.) If Bofo can contribute, be in football shape, and not lay down any John Valencia drama to a club that’s already a complete mess, this could be a steal. Heck, if Bofo is the Bofo of old, he could potentially be a candidate for MLS MVP – he’s of that quality. He’s incredibly creative with the ball, has great control, and is a solid creator in the final third – something the team has lacked for years. But the reality is that this Bofo is not the Bofo of old. Bofo has becaome plain ol’ Adolfo since he left Guadalajara. At 34 years of age he’s now older, slower, and much less effective player.
People might say, “Well look at Cuauhtemoc Blanco. The guy was also 34 years old when he came to Chicago and dominated the league. Blanco and Bautista have similar styles so things could work out.” One of the big differences, other than Blanco being a much better footballer to begin with, is that Blanco had played consistently at a high level before he made the move to MLS. Heck, his final game for America before his move to the Fire was in the Liga MX final. Still on top of his game, he had the heart and focus of a professional to go along with his refined skill so the move North was flawless. Bofo, on the other hand, is in a different boat. He’s toiled around at number different clubs failing to make a name for himself and wouldn’t be coming from a Liga MX championship match. He’d be coming from a 2nd division side with limited playing time.
Get this: Since 2011, he’s played for Chivas, Queretaro, and Atletico San Luis. That’s 3 different teams in 3 different seasons. 31 total games. 16 starts. 1 goal. 1 assist. 10 total shots. He’s only started 4 out of 8 games for a Primera A side – something that tells me he was either super out of shape, had lost his touch, or was having issues with the coach. Watching him play, you could immediately notice he’s still got that technical skill and there were no signs of him feuding with San Luis coach Miguel Fuentes. That leaves conditioning.
Before he signed with San Luis, Bofo had a brief retirement and hadn’t played for a year and a half. (During this time Bofo participated in the reality show La Isla, the Mexican version of Survivor, and in typical Bofo fashion, ended up throwing his shoes at a cameraman.) When you add that he’s 34 years old, that’s a long time for an old body to get back into game shape. On top of that, old bodies that haven’t been tested don’t fare well with recovery. So the player CUSA will be getting as a player isn’t the Bofo we all came to love at the pinnacle of his CGUAD breakout, but instead its a gigantic question mark in the shape of a cane. On the bright side, perhaps having an entire offseason to get into game shape could produce a more productive Bofo. Also, it’s a one year deal, so there’s no need to freak out about the long-term.
(Side note: Cubo and Bofo were CGUAD teammates at the tail-end of Bofo’s time there. Since 2010, the year Cubo became a professional, Cubo has had 80 total appearances with 21 goals while Bofo has had 51 appearances and 4 goals.)
Finally,and probably most importantly, having no coach makes this move perplexing. Tying down such a “big name” and polarizing player could make any potential coaching candidates think twice about committing to the roster (and the limits its flexibility it might bring)- which makes me believe a candidate that has approved the deal has already been identified OR that Vergara plans on hiring a yes-man that will have to approve any deal he wants. Unfortunately, the latter of the two is the most likely.
So yeah, this signing, once official, was a few years too late. But at least there might be enough gas left in Bofo’s tank to at least make the trip entertaining.
GrinGoats 