It’s Cienfuegos’ Day, Mexico’s Nightmare

Mauricio Cienfuegos played 42 minutes of soccer Sunday afternoon at the Home Depot Center. Aesthetically and competitively speaking, Mexico’s national team logged about as many, give or take.

Cienfuegos was showered with gifts, applause, handshakes and bearhugs for his participation in El Salvador’s 2-1 victory over Mexico.

Mexico Coach Ricardo Lavolpe, who also contributed, beat a quick path to LAX, leaving behind an unfortunate assistant to field hostile questions from an irritated Mexican media.

Cienfuegos, playing his last international match for El Salvador, at least hung around long enough for formal goodbyes. The 35-year-old Galaxy midfielder, who last played for El Salvador three years ago, agreed to return to the national team for a farewell match played at his usual place of work.

“If I was about to die, I’d die very happy today,” a beaming Cienfuegos said through an interpreter. “Not even in my wildest dreams did I dream about this farewell, playing with these young players and beating one of the international teams we respect the most.

“We always want to beat Mexico. This is a day that will always be in my heart.”

It was a day Mexican fans will remember for other reasons. Their team was outplayed for most of the match, falling behind, 2-0, after the first hour, and had to scramble to salvage a goal, Mexico’s fourth in seven games under Lavolpe.

Mexico’s record in those games is 1-2-4, which might help explain why assistant coach Jesus Bracamonte was dispatched to meet the press instead of Lavolpe.

Bracamonte said Lavolpe had to catch the team flight back to Mexico City but noted that he had spoken with the coach after the match. He said Lavolpe was “calm and very confident we will do well in the Gold Cup” -- referring to the 12-team tournament scheduled to begin Saturday.

Mexico’s opening-day opponent?

Defending World Cup champion Brazil.

Perhaps Lavolpe felt he needed as much time as he could get to start breaking down tape.

On the bright side, only 19,271 witnessed Mexico’s embarrassing performance. For that, Lavolpe can thank Anschutz Entertainment Group, which set ticket prices at $45, $55 and $65.

Cienfuegos had not played for El Salvador since the 2000 Gold Cup, quitting the national team after a long-standing dispute with the country’s soccer federation over pay and treatment of players. Cienfuegos agreed to make a final appearance when this tribute match was scheduled, meeting with Coach Juan Ramon Paredes to determine the game plan: Cienfuegos would start and play until just before halftime, enabling him to leave the field to a last round of applause.

He also left with El Salvador ahead. Diego Mejia drove a header past Mexico goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, giving El Salvador a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute.

Thirty minutes later, it was 2-0, with El Salvador capitalizing on an error by Mexican defender Omar Briseno.

Settling under a long Salvadoran pass, Briseno misplayed the ball and lost it to El Salvador midfielder William Torres Alegna. Moving into Mexico’s penalty area, Alegna laid the ball off for forward Rudi Corrales, who fired inside the left post.

Mexico, having scored but three goals in its first six matches under Lavolpe, finally broke through when Daniel Osorno pounced on a rebound in the 77th minute. Mexico pressed hard for the equalizer, but was denied by three superb saves by El Salvador goalkeeper Juan Jose Gomez.

Mexico was playing without several regulars, as Lavolpe decided to use this friendly match to experiment with young players, as Bracamonte pointed out more than once in the postmatch interview session.

“Sometimes in soccer, as in life, you take a punch,” Bracamonte philosophized. “We took a heavy punch today. But we will learn from this.”