Machon Looks at Ruano Differently Now
Martin Machon rushed to the defense of Guatemalan teammate German Ruano in the waning seconds of a 0-0 tie against El Salvador on Sunday.
Normally, that would not be news in a Gold Cup game between traditional rivals before 26,391 at the Coliseum. Even though neither team is bound for the World Cup, a strong turnout of fervent Guatemalan fans made it seem like a home game for Machon.
But flip back to more than week ago and go a few thousand miles south and it was a wildly different scene. Machon, of the Galaxy and on loan to the Guatemalan club team Communicaciones, was playing against Ruano of Municipal.
To say those teams are bitter rivals is an understatement.
News reports said Machon and Ruano traded punches. (Machon said Sunday that was not the case.) The scuffle triggered a riot in which 72 people were injured at Mateo Flores Stadium in Guatemala City.
“Sometimes things happen,” Machon said. “It was a play. He [Ruano] said it was an accident. I thought not, so that created a problem and the game was ended by the referee and that made me go crazy. He [Ruano] was crazy too. And we started saying things.”
And now, comrades?
“Not quite.” Machon said. “During the game [today], no one noticed we had a problem a week ago. I’m a professional player and I’m going to act like that.”
He stepped forward to help defend Ruano when he was hit in the face by Jose Escobar of El Salvador. Then Machon traded words with forward Raul Diaz Arce, who was relatively ineffective after he entered the game in the 70th minute.
“He [Diaz Arce] was trying to say to me, ‘Stop bothering the ref,’ ” Machon said. “He was saying we were hitting, too. I said, ‘Don’t tell me you’re not hitting.’ ”
Machon chuckled at the irony of defending Ruano.
“It was exactly the same guy,” he said. “I was right there with my . . . not my buddy, right there with my teammate. “
Not long before, in the 89th minute, Guatemala nearly won it. Machon’s corner kick from the left side, fell in front of Guillermo Ramirez, who was out about 10 yards.
Goalkeeper Alvaro Misael Alfaro was far off his line, but El Salvador defender Carlos Castro made the play of the game, clearing Ramirez’s shot off the goal line.
The game was full of momentum shifts. Guatemala hit the post in the second minute, and El Salvador dominated the final 20-25 minutes of the first half. Guatemala, playing a patient defensive game, took control of the second half.
There were seven yellow cards in all, four to Guatemala. Machon criticized the officiating, saying: “I think the referee was a disaster.”
Not playing for El Salvador was its dazzling midfielder, Mauricio Cienfuegos of the Galaxy. Apparently, Cienfuegos is not injured but at least one of the reasons given for his absence was less than convincing.
El Salvador Coach Kiril Dojcinovski said Cienfuegos had training commitments to the Galaxy. But that didn’t stop Machon or Cobi Jones of the United States from playing Sunday.
Asked if Cienfuegos would play in El Salvador’s next game, Dojcinovski did not answer yes or no but said through an interpreter, “He’s part of the team, an element of the team.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
1998
CONCACAF
Gold Cup
* Sunday’s Scores:
Trinidad and Tobago 3, Honduras 1
United States 3, Cuba 0
El Salvador 0, Guatemala 0
* Tuesday: Brazil vs. Jamaica, 4:30 p.m. (Orange Bowl, Miami).
* Wednesday: Costa Rica vs. Cuba, 6 p.m.; Mexico vs. Trinidad and Tobago, 8 p.m. (Oakland Coliseum).
* Thursday: Brazil vs. Guatemala, 4:30 p.m. (Orange Bowl, Miami).
* Friday: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Saturday: Costa Rica vs. United States, 2 p.m.; Honduras vs. Mexico, 4 p.m. (Oakland Coliseum).
* Feb. 8: Guatemala vs. Jamaica, 2 p.m.; Brazil vs. El Salvador, 4 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Feb. 10: Semifinal, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Feb. 12: Semifinal, 7 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* Feb. 15: Third-place game, 3 p.m. and final, 5 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* All times Pacific.
