Galaxy Fans Save Their Cheers for Cienfuegos
After a six-week holdout that finally necessitated an emergency meeting with MLS Commissioner Doug Logan, the Southern California soccer community weighed in on the Mauricio Cienfuegos contractual situation Saturday night.
First, Galaxy fans voted by the turnstile--only 17,343 in attendance for the Galaxy’s season-opening 2-1 shootout victory over the Colorado Rapids, by far the smallest crowd for a home opener in the team’s four-year existence.
Then, barely eight minutes into the match, the chant began.
Cien-fue-gos!
Cien-fue-gos!
Followed by the loudest cheer of the night in the match’s 52nd minute, when Cienfuegos pulled off his sweatsuit and began sprinting back and forth on the sideline, warming up for his eventual entrance in the 53rd minute.
The score was 1-1 when Cienfuegos stepped onto to the field, so technically speaking, he did not influence the final outcome. The match remained deadlocked through the end of regulation play, forcing a shootout won by the Galaxy, 3-1.
But the Galaxy attack regained the old jump in its stride with its playmaker back in the midfield, awakening shortly after the crowd did.
The Cienfuegos dilemma remains unresolved, even after Saturday’s breakfast meeting with Logan, where the 31-year-old midfielder agreed to stay with the team for another 10 days to allow negotiations to continue. Cienfuegos, still under contract to the Galaxy, wants a major pay raise, bringing him to the $250,000 range, which is what many of the league’s elite players earn per season. The league, however, has been reluctant to renegotiate, although Logan conceded Saturday night the need to “restructure” the deal.
“We had a good meeting this morning,” Logan said. “Mauricio has a clear understanding that I have a great deal of respect for him first as a person and second as a consummate professional and a pioneer in the development of this league.
“Mauricio is an important part of our family, and I told him today we want him to stay a part of our family until the end of his career and beyond. . . . As two friends, I told him we will do everything in our power to make sure Mauricio finishes his career here.”
Logan was asked if the slight crowd--less than half the size of the previous low for a Galaxy home opener, 36,281 in 1998--and the crowd response to Cienfuegos’ appearance created added bargaining power for the player.
“I think the issues over specific worth are best left to those conducting the negotiating process,” Logan said. “We are delighted he’s been here in Los Angeles. We want him to end his career here. We are optimistic we can come up with a solution.”
Cienfuegos has threatened to return to his native El Salvador if no new agreement is reached within 10 days. Logan said he was hopeful the league could beat that deadline.
“What we are talking about is a restructured arrangement,” Logan said. “We are talking about adding a year (Cienfuegos is currently signed through the 2000 season). He’s 31 now and we feel he has three or four years left of playing at this level.”
Cienfuegos, seated next to Logan, speaks little English but smiled when he heard this.
“OK, maybe six years,” Logan said with a laugh. “This morning, he mentioned that (Miami midfielder Carlos) Valderrama is still playing at 38.”
Galaxy Coach Octavio Zambrano said Cienfuegos’ value to the team is obvious.
“We have played without him before,” Zambrano said, “but you need to have that balance of experience and youth. When Mauricio came in, that experience was felt. I’m happy to have him back.”
The Galaxy scored without Cienfuegos, in the 14th minute, on a goal by Clint Mathis. Galaxy striker Welton crossed the ball into the box, where the ball was deflected by Rapids defender Peter Vermes and chested down by Mathis. From eight yards, Mathis drilled the ball into the right corner of the net.
Colorado equalized in the 34th minute, when Rapids forward Jorge Dely-Valdes outleaped Galaxy defender Greg Vanney for a high ball in the box and headed the ball to an open Ross Paule, who banged the ball past a scrambling Kevin Hartman, the Galaxy goalkeeper.
Regulation play ended that way, bringing on the shootout.
