Soccer columnist Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch recounts his enthusiasm as he sat in traffic waiting for the inaugural game of Argentine legend Guillermo Barros Schelotto at Crew Stadium: “Wow, I thought. This is unbelievable. Guillermo-mania. Columbus really is going to turn out to see the home debut of Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the Crew’s new Argentine star.” To Hunter’s chagrin, it turns out that last-minute Mother’s Day flower shoppers caused the traffic jam, not Schelotto, and as the traffic thinned out it became apparent that the turnout for the Crew-Chivas game would be about average: 12,545.
What gives? Schelotto is a legend in Buenos Aires, having won some 14 titles with Boca Juniors over the course of his 11-year career. He’s also “a good-looking guy with a nice smile,” Hunter said. After the 1-1 draw, Schelotto, through an interpreter, explained that “Hispanics, they do know me, but Americans, they don’t.”
That he doesn’t speak English is something of a problem — it’s hard to hype up a guy who can’t be interviewed — but Hunter points out that international stars like South Africa’s Doctor Khumalo never lived up to the hype. Maybe the city’s fans think the Crew has cried wolf too many times about its international stars, because Hunter says Schelotto put in a great performance in his home debut against Chivas, creating chances, including the tying goal, while making smart runs. He lifted the entire team. Perhaps this a foreigner Columbus could really get behind? Let’s hope they do.