Clock Is Ticking for Cienfuegos
With each passing day the clock ticks louder on Mauricio Cienfuegos’ career.
And the Galaxy’s veteran playmaking midfielder, who announced before this season that he would retire at the conclusion of it, is making the best of his remaining time. Even if he’s playing in the most unusual of circumstances ... off the bench.
“I’m trying to, when I step out on the field, to put [forth] all my efforts,” Cienfuegos said. “I try to be in shape every day, to practice hard every day. And when I go into the field [in a game] I try to put everything because I know it’s ... my last year.
“I want to show the people that Cienfuegos can [still] play at this level.”
Cienfuegos, 35, has been one of two constants -- along with Cobi Jones -- for the Galaxy since Major League Soccer’s inception in 1996. The popular Salvadoran began this season having started 183 of the 186 regular-season matches he had appeared in while averaging 88 minutes per match and five goals and 11.1 assists per season.
This year, though, he has played in only 11 of the defending MLS Cup champions’ 18 matches, starting nine times, and averaged 67.6 minutes. He has yet to score a goal to go with his one assist.
Cienfuegos, a six-time all-star who has three times been named to the league’s Best Eleven team, is at his best when he’s running the Galaxy’s attack with rapid-fire passing, rather than dribbling the ball for a lengthy period.
Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz said recently that Cienfuegos’ style of play does not jibe with Coach Sigi Schmid’s system.
Said Schmid: “There’s going to be times when we need him in the game and that may be [today],” Schmid said. “He’s always a positive element to the team, whether he’s starting or not starting, because he’s a positive element in training.”
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Kreis Out for Season
Jason Kreis, whose 86 MLS goals are three short of breaking Roy Lassiter’s career league mark, will be sidelined for the season for the Dallas Burn because of torn ligaments in his left knee.
Kreis, an original member of the Burn and the league most valuable player in 1999 when he scored 18 goals and had 15 assists, injured himself in the first minute of Wednesday’s game against San Jose on a slide tackle.
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Crespo on the Block?
Chelsea, already a vastly different-looking team from last season after a $120 million spending spree by new owner Roman Abramovich, now has its sights set on Inter Milan and Argentine international forward Hernan Crespo.
Inter officials insist that Crespo is not for sale, but Italian sports daily Corriere dello Sport reported that the team may consider a $33 million bid. The report said that the club has an important meeting planned for Monday at which time officials are to discuss the possible signing of Kily Gonzalez from Spain’s Valencia as well as Crespo’s situation.
Earlier this month, Abramovich tried to strike a deal for another Inter forward, Christian Vieri, but was turned down.
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Kaka to AC Milan
Brazilian midfielder Kaka, a standout for his country’s under-23 team that finished second in the CONCACAF Gold Cup last month, has transferred to European champion AC Milan.
Kaka, whose real name is Ricardo Izecson Santos Leite, will sign a five-year contract in which Milan will pay his former Brazilian club, Sao Paulo, $8.5 million, Sao Paulo officials said.
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Makelele Returns
Troubled French midfielder Claude Makelele returned to Real Madrid for a medical checkup Friday and team doctors said he is suffering from “a slight emotional problem,” recommending that he not play this weekend for the club or for France’s national team next week.
Makelele is upset over his salary and had not trained for two days, a move that cooled a possible transfer to Chelsea, whose scheduled Monday meeting with Real Madrid officials was postponed.
Makelele’s agent, Marc Roger, said the meeting will take place next week when Real Madrid President Florentino Perez returns from vacation.
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Quick Passes
Martin Liguera’s three goals led Uruguay to a 5-2 victory over Iraq in the final of the LG Peace Cup at Tehran.... Mexican national team forward Juan Francisco Palencia is still hoping to re-sign with his former club, Cruz Azul, but the team must do so before Friday if he is to be eligible for the Mexican league season, which is two weeks old.... Defending Dutch league champion, PSV Eindhoven, got two goals from Serbian striker Mateja Kezman to salvage a 2-2 tie against Roda JC Kerkrade in its season opener.
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Times wire services contributed to this report.
