Painful Experience

El Dorado High forward Ignacio Cid isn’t sure what was more painful--the throbbing in his right knee or watching his teammates celebrate a 2-1 overtime victory over Palm Springs Wednesday in the second round of the Southern Section Division II boys’ soccer playoffs.

“That was the worst day,” Cid said. “We scored and there was a big dog pile and I couldn’t even run over there.”

Cid hasn’t been able to run since he landed awkwardly on his surgically repaired right knee after taking a shot during practice 10 days ago. He hasn’t been able to sleep and he hasn’t been his typically chatty self since undergoing a second surgery on his torn meniscus. Surgery ended any hopes he had of contributing to his team’s playoff run and might have ended his chance of playing Division I college soccer next year.

“This is more like a nightmare,” said Cid, whose friends call him “Nacho” instead of Ignacio. “I’m confused as to why this had to happen and I’m helpless toward helping the team. Something happened for some reason. I wish I knew what it was.”

So does El Dorado Coach Marc Smith, who has become so close to Cid over the last four years that he calls him his little brother.

“It’s the most frustrating thing in my life,” Smith said. “He was having such an outstanding season. He was not just a scorer anymore. He was turning into an all-around player and a leader. He’s a unique player. I’d take Nacho over some of the guys they’ve signed at UCLA.”

Cid, a Times’ Orange County first-team selection last year after leading the Golden Hawks to the Division III final, had come back from his first meniscus surgery in September to produce 35 goals and 23 assists, despite missing four games with a concussion.

“I thought I was at my peak, and now I have to start all over again,” Cid said. “Emotionally, that will be the hardest thing.”

Lately, it’s been hard for Cid to simply come out of his room. Thursday was the first day since his surgery that he felt strong enough to face his classmates.

“I know they care,” Cid said, “But it’s tough for me to talk to everybody about it.”

It hasn’t been any easier for Cid to open up to Smith or his teammates.

“He’s feeling left out,” Smith said. “He’s so withdrawn. I can’t get much of out of him.”

Until last Friday--the day of El Dorado’s first-round playoff game against Newport Harbor--Cid thought he could still get something out of the season. But that changed when he saw his doctor that afternoon.

“I wasn’t getting better, so I thought I might as well have the surgery and give the injury more time to heal,” Cid said. “They told me after the [Saturday] surgery that the knee would probably take six to eight months to heal.”

If Cid blames anyone for his predicament, he blames himself.

“I think I came back too quickly from the first surgery,” he said. “I pushed the doctors for my release to play.”

And now Cid can only wonder when he will play again.

“If I have to take a year off or if I have to play at a [community] college, I’ll do it,” he said.

Although Cid hasn’t been recruited as heavily as he had hoped, UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton were making a late run at him.

“I’m sure as soon as UCI hears about this, they’re not going to wait around for Nacho to get better,” Cid said. “But I also want them to know I’m not going to stop playing.”

Cid said he wants his teammates to know he is behind them. “We have a great team,” he said. “The guys are showing that they can do it without me.”

This afternoon at home against Los Angeles Loyola, the second-seeded Golden Hawks (27-4) will try to win their third consecutive game without their top scorer and emotional leader.

“We’re all kind of sad about Nacho’s injury and there’s no doubt it has had an effect on us,” said Smith, who said midfielder Ryan Valdez replaced Cid as the on-field leader. “But the attitude has been great. They’ve all done a little more with him out.”