Mauricio Cienfuegos

It was supposed to be a routine corner kick. Surely, Mauricio Cienfuegos would boot the ball into the crowd and hope for a header by a Galaxy teammate. But as the smallest guy on the field--all 5 feet 6 inches and 143 pounds of him--lined up on the left side of the Rose Bowl grass for the attempt, you could sense something was up.

The Galaxy added to its haul of talented homegrown players Tuesday by signing defender Oscar Sorto off its U-18 academy team. Sorto, a graduate of Manual Arts High in Los Angeles, is the third player -- and first defender -- to be signed directly from the academy program in the last two years, joining forwards Jose Villarreal and Jack McBean. "It is a dream come true to join a club like the Galaxy, a team I have been a fan of since I was a kid," Sorto, 18, said in a statement.

Defender Todd Yeagley of the Columbus Crew has been suspended for two games and fined $1,000 by Major League Soccer Commissioner Doug Logan for a "reckless and violent foul" against Galaxy midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos in last Sunday's game at the Rose Bowl. Cienfuegos suffered a bruised left leg and cuts on his shin after Yeagley smashed into him with a cleat-first tackle. The Galaxy, which is 7-0, won the game, 3-2.

With the Galaxy muddling about with more losses and draws than wins this season, midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos, who is playing out the string in his final professional season, wants his teammates to know their roles and shut their mouths. "There's not too many problems, but every player wants to be the savior of the team and do it individually," Cienfuegos said in Spanish while promoting the club's Hispanic Heritage Night, tonight against the Chicago Fire. "But that won't work.

TONIGHT vs. D.C. United, 7:30 * Site--Rose Bowl. * Radio--KRLA (1110), KNTQ (1020, Spanish). * Records--Galaxy 18-10 (48 points), United 22-7 (54 points). * Record vs. United--1-0. * Update--D.C. United has clinched the regular-season Eastern Conference title and the home-field advantage through the playoffs, but the Galaxy is still scuffling to achieve the same in the Western Conference.

Midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos of El Salvador was the only Galaxy player selected Wednesday for Major League Soccer's second All-Star game, to be played July 9 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Last year, a league-high six Galaxy players were selected for the initial All-Star game, which the Eastern Conference won, 3-2, before a Giants Stadium crowd of 78,416. "On a personal level, I feel surprised and grateful for being the only player selected from this team," Cienfuegos said.

The Galaxy added to its haul of talented homegrown players Tuesday by signing defender Oscar Sorto off its U-18 academy team. Sorto, a graduate of Manual Arts High in Los Angeles, is the third player -- and first defender -- to be signed directly from the academy program in the last two years, joining forwards Jose Villarreal and Jack McBean. "It is a dream come true to join a club like the Galaxy, a team I have been a fan of since I was a kid," Sorto, 18, said in a statement.

All in all, it was a peculiar Saturday night for Mauricio Cienfuegos. With the Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids battling for playoff position in Major League Soccer's Western Division, the veteran midfielder from El Salvador was presented with the simplest of opportunities to give Los Angeles a useful advantage. But in front of a crowd of 12,068 at the Rose Bowl, Cienfuegos missed a first-half penalty kick. Not to worry.

A familiar face, and recognizable feet, will be running the show for the Galaxy today when it meets the Colorado Rapids at Denver. Mauricio Cienfuegos, who has been the Galaxy's playmaking midfielder since Major League Soccer's inception in 1996, will be in the starting lineup for the first time in four weeks. Cienfuegos' return was made possible by Simon Elliott leaving the Galaxy this week to join New Zealand's national team for the Oceania Nations Cup tournament.

Mauricio Cienfuegos is a happy man these days, and his newfound peace of mind is paying dividends on the soccer field. Last season's bitter contract squabble with Major League Soccer is a distant memory. In addition, the Salvadoran playmaker is close to receiving resident alien status in the United States, making him even more valuable to the Galaxy.

All in all, it was a peculiar Saturday night for Mauricio Cienfuegos. With the Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids battling for playoff position in Major League Soccer's Western Division, the veteran midfielder from El Salvador was presented with the simplest of opportunities to give Los Angeles a useful advantage. But in front of a crowd of 12,068 at the Rose Bowl, Cienfuegos missed a first-half penalty kick. Not to worry.

A familiar face, and recognizable feet, will be running the show for the Galaxy today when it meets the Colorado Rapids at Denver. Mauricio Cienfuegos, who has been the Galaxy's playmaking midfielder since Major League Soccer's inception in 1996, will be in the starting lineup for the first time in four weeks. Cienfuegos' return was made possible by Simon Elliott leaving the Galaxy this week to join New Zealand's national team for the Oceania Nations Cup tournament.

Mauricio Cienfuegos is a happy man these days, and his newfound peace of mind is paying dividends on the soccer field. Last season's bitter contract squabble with Major League Soccer is a distant memory. In addition, the Salvadoran playmaker is close to receiving resident alien status in the United States, making him even more valuable to the Galaxy.

In baseball, the commercials say, chicks dig the long ball and the home run is king during the regular season. Yet good pitching seemingly always beats good hitting come playoff time. The Galaxy is hoping that the same principle--defense beats offense--applies in Major League Soccer. Especially Sunday at MLS Cup '99 in Foxboro, Mass., when the Galaxy, the top-ranked defensive team in the league, takes on Washington D.C. United, the league's No. 1 offensive team.

It was supposed to be a routine corner kick. Surely, Mauricio Cienfuegos would boot the ball into the crowd and hope for a header by a Galaxy teammate. But as the smallest guy on the field--all 5 feet 6 inches and 143 pounds of him--lined up on the left side of the Rose Bowl grass for the attempt, you could sense something was up.

Who needs Mauricio Cienfuegos more, the Galaxy or El Salvador? The question becomes more than academic this week because Major League Soccer's Western Conference leader has lost its most influential player for its final--and decisive--regular-season game. Instead of flying to Kansas City with the Galaxy on Friday to play the Wizards on Saturday, Cienfuegos will stay in Los Angeles, playing three games for El Salvador in the next five days.

Although Sunday was supposed to be his day of rest, Bob Gansler, coach of the United States soccer team, was hard at work. Accompanied by Hugo Perez, a U.S. midfielder, Gansler scouted an exhibition soccer tournament at the Coliseum. Gansler diagrammed plays as Paraguay defeated Guatemala, 2-1, and Chile beat El Salvador, 1-0, before a crowd of 10,997. Gansler was interested because Guatemala and El Salvador are in the same World Cup qualifying group as the United States.

Who needs Mauricio Cienfuegos more, the Galaxy or El Salvador? The question becomes more than academic this week because Major League Soccer's Western Conference leader has lost its most influential player for its final--and decisive--regular-season game. Instead of flying to Kansas City with the Galaxy on Friday to play the Wizards on Saturday, Cienfuegos will stay in Los Angeles, playing three games for El Salvador in the next five days.

TONIGHT vs. D.C. United, 7:30 * Site--Rose Bowl. * Radio--KRLA (1110), KNTQ (1020, Spanish). * Records--Galaxy 18-10 (48 points), United 22-7 (54 points). * Record vs. United--1-0. * Update--D.C. United has clinched the regular-season Eastern Conference title and the home-field advantage through the playoffs, but the Galaxy is still scuffling to achieve the same in the Western Conference.

He may be the best-known, least-known athlete in Los Angeles. Depending on the neighborhood, Mauricio Cienfuegos can walk down a street and be mobbed by fans--or ignored entirely. He can be seen for what he is, the most successful soccer player ever to come out of El Salvador. Or he can be overlooked as another face in the crowd. And that's not a bad thing.