Mauricio Cienfuegos facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Mauricio Cienfuegos | ||
| Date of birth | 12 February 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | San Salvador, El Salvador | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1985 | Racing Junior | ||
| 1986–1987 | Marte Soyapango | ||
| 1988–1991 | Luis Ángel Firpo | ||
| 1991–1992 | Atlético Morelia | 37 | (3) |
| 1992–1993 | Santos Laguna | 18 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Jaibos Tampico Madero | ||
| 1994–1996 | Luis Ángel Firpo | ||
| 1996–2003 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 206 | (35) |
| International career | |||
| 1987–2003 | El Salvador | 68 | (8) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008 | Nejapa | ||
| 2011–2020 | Los Angeles Galaxy (academy) | ||
| 2023- | El Salvador (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
José Mauricio Cienfuegos, born on February 12, 1968, is a famous Salvadoran former football player. He was an attacking midfielder, which means he helped create goals from the middle of the field. Today, he is an assistant coach for the El Salvador national football team, working with head coach Hugo Pérez.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Mauricio Cienfuegos started his professional football journey in 1985 with a team called Racing Junior. After that, he played for Soyapango for two seasons. Then, he moved to Luís Ángel Firpo, where he played for four years.
Playing in Mexico
In 1991, Cienfuegos went to Mexico to play for Atlético Morelia. The next year, in 1992, he joined Santos Laguna. However, he wasn't happy with his role on the team. He decided to try playing in Europe. In 1993, he had tryouts with Swiss champions Servette and Spanish team Lleida. He almost signed with the Spanish team, but it didn't work out. So, he returned to Mexico and played briefly for Tampico Madero during the 1994-95 season.
Time with LA Galaxy
After his time in Mexico, Cienfuegos played two more seasons with Luis Ángel Firpo. Then, in 1996, he joined Major League Soccer (MLS) for its very first season. He played for the Los Angeles Galaxy for eight years, from 1996 until he retired in 2003.
During his time with the Galaxy, he became known as one of the best playmakers in the league. He was chosen for the MLS Best XI three times (in 1996, 1998, and 1999). He also played in seven MLS All-Star Games as a central midfielder. With the Galaxy, Cienfuegos helped his team win several big titles. They won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000, the U.S. Open Cup in 2001, and the MLS Cup in 2002. He ended his MLS career with 78 assists and 35 goals in 206 games for the club.
Playing for His Country
Cienfuegos was a very important player for the El Salvador national football team. He joined the team when he was a teenager and continued to be a leader for his country's team even into his thirties. He played in 68 international games and scored 8 goals. All of his goals for El Salvador were scored during home games.
He played in a large number of FIFA World Cup qualification matches, 32 in total. He also represented his country in the 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup and the 1996 and 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments. Mauricio Cienfuegos played his last international game in July 2003. It was a special farewell match against the Mexico team, held at the Galaxy's Home Depot Center.
International Goals for El Salvador
Here are the goals Mauricio Cienfuegos scored for El Salvador:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 July 1992 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  Nicaragua |
2–0 | 5–1 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 1 November 1992 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  Bermuda |
3–0 | 4–1 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 23 March 1993 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  United States |
2–2 | 2–2 | Friendly match |
| 4 | 29 November 1995 | Estadio Oscar Quiteno, Santa Ana, El Salvador |  Belize |
1–0 | 3–0 | 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup |
| 5 | 3 December 1995 | Estadio Flor Blanca, San Salvador, El Salvador |  Costa Rica |
2–1 | 2–1 | 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup |
| 6 | 8 September 1996 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  Cuba |
5–0 | 5–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 14 September 1997 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  Canada |
3–1 | 4–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8 | 16 July 2000 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  Honduras |
2–5 | 2–5 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Cienfuegos became a coach. In 2008, he was named the head coach of Nejapa in El Salvador's top football league. He had a good first season. However, his second season started poorly, and his players were not getting paid. Because of these issues, he decided to resign from his coaching role.
On June 22, 2011, it was announced that Mauricio Cienfuegos would become a technical coach for the LA Galaxy Academy. This academy helps train young football players. In January 2023, Cienfuegos took on a new role. He was appointed as an assistant coach for the El Salvador national football team.
Awards and Achievements
Mauricio Cienfuegos won many awards and titles during his football career.
With CD Luis Ángel Firpo
- Primera División de Fútbol Profesional: 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92
With Los Angeles Galaxy
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2000
- (Runner-up in 1997)
- MLS Cup: 2002
- (Runner-up in 1996, 1999, 2001)
- MLS Supporters' Shield: 1998, 2002
- (Runner-up in 1996, 1999)
- U.S. Open Cup: 2001
- (Runner-up in 2002)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
- MLS Best XI: 1996, 1998, 1999
Personal Life
Mauricio Cienfuegos lives with his wife and their three children in the San Gabriel Valley area of California.
See also
In Spanish: Mauricio Cienfuegos para niños
