Major League Soccer has been trying for years to gain traction in the heart of American sports fans, but they’ve re-amped their efforts following a wildly successful World Cup. The South African games had more viewers than any previous Cups. Major League Soccer managers and players are hoping that the soccer fever had more to do with the sport than the vuvuzelas, and that excitement for the game will carry into their current season.

With this new American understanding of the sport and its power players, MLS teams are scurrying to sign some of those names to their rosters. Thierry Henry was one of the first players to accept the trade or loan to MLS. The newest player to come to the land of the free is 26-year-old Nery Castillo. The Mexican will be joining the Chicago Fire.

Fire managers say they’ve been working to acquire the star attacker from Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk for about two years, and are excited to finally have him as a designated player on the team. Shakhtar had previously loaned Castillo to Manchester City (in the Premier League) and to another Ukrainian Team, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

Castillo was left off of the World Cup team roster, though he has been playing with the Mexican national team since June 2007. The Chicago Fire is hoping that Castillo can help turn the team around. Their MLS record is 4-5-5 and they have yet to win a non-MLS game this year.

Though Castillo’s deal with Shakhtar and the fire is currently a loan, he is hoping to make the move permanent.