Blanco has first practice with new club

Published Dec. 17, 2009 10:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

Cuauhtemoc Blanco trained for the first time with his new club - the Tiburones Rojos of Veracruz - on Thursday, completing an unusual move to a second-division team for the Mexico superstar.

Under the terms of his new deal, Blanco will be with the club until March. After that he will join Mexico at a training camp to prepare for the World Cup in South Africa. Many view Blanco as El Tri's key player.

Blanco practiced with another new team member, forward Reynaldo Navia of Chile.

Blanco finished his three-year contract with the Chicago Fire by leading the team to last month's Major League Soccer final. Keen to return home, he rejoined Veracruz, for which he last played in 2004.