Should Galaxy great Mauricio Cienfuegos be inducted into the Hall of Fame? You could say yes for powering the league's best offensive juggernaut in his earlier years, but you could also say no for his decline as he aged.
i don't think decline as he aged is really a valid reason for saying no. everyone declines as they get old... even jordan wasn't jordan when he got old.
I can't see how he wouldn't. For eight seasons, he was a very good MLS player and his presence in the beginning of MLS was one of the key reasons why the league got off to a good start in terms of attendance. And, unlike a lot of the early big names in MLS, Cienfuegos got the job done in the field. He's one of the 3-4 best playmakers in MLS history - I'd but Etcheverry and Valderrama 1-2 and then we can argue between Cienfugeos and Nowak for 3 - and he helped LA win MLS Cup and come in second three times, win two Shields, an Open Cup and CONCACAF while setting several MLS records for offense and winning. He was a multiple all-star and made the Best XI several times. And, he had a pretty damn good career for El Salvador and played in Mexico for a spell, too. Yeah, he's a Hall of Famer.
Everyone who votes "no" should be banned from Bigsoccer.com for life for being a complete and total idiot...
They do have a valid reason for saying no. He wasnt the top the attacking mid in MLS's first decade, but the 5th best(behind Etch, Preki, Valderama, and Nowak), but that was also by far the deepest position in MLS.
I of course voted yes. As a DC fan I went thru the same frustration with Etch his last 2 years. His decline was noticeable and a little upsetting. That did not however cancel out the brilliance he displayed in his initial years in the league. For me there is one other question for people voting no. Do you want 3 hall of famers from those galaxy teams. Calaguiri is already in the HOF and Cobi is a lock as well. For me the answer is yes, as the Galaxy were the 2nd best team over that time period. Lalas will of course also be in, but I don't think of him as a Galaxy player. 3 isn't so much when you think of the number of DC guys that will get in from their dynasty (5? Etch, Moreno, Harkes, Agoos, certainly coach Arena, etc.)
Since we're talking MLS HOF, not career, I'd put him third. Valderama was already fading by the time he got here, and as awesome as Preki is, he's more of a converted forward who slid into that position to fill a need on the team. I think Cien had a lot more vision on the field. Cien in his prime completely controlled the field.
When you say MLS HOF are you talking about the US soccer HOF in Oneonta, NY? I don't think MLS is planning their own HOF, so this is what we've got. This Hall takes into account US players as well as players in MLS, etc. So Reyna and Keller are locks, even though they may only play a short time in the league. For MLS players only their achievements while playing in the league should matter. Valderama is borderline IMO, while Cien is in.
Sorry, that's what I meant to say. For the US HOF, only MLS playing time should count for Internationals like Valderrama, Nowak, Cien, etc. Otherwise, we'd have to put L. Mattheus and H.M. Bo in there and nobody wants that...
For most of us, Cien was an unknown coming into the league. We took knowledgeable people's opinion that this guy was good and hoped for the best. I was pleasantly surprised. I wish the kids that play the attacking positions for me now could get a look at Cien in the early years because that guy played the position the way God meant it to be played. God bless Cienfuegos. (Yes, I have been drinking. It's Suds Saturday on the LARiotsquad.net boards)
MLS should start their own MLS HOF, it needs to recognize the accomplishments MLS players have brought to the league. My vote for Cien is YES. He was the sparkplug, the field general, who may have been small, but he was a large part of the team successes, his ability to find the open spaces was second to none. He is a true professional and a world class person, that fact that he is from ES and my parents are from ES, makes me proud. MLS who should be in MLS HOF are Cien, Etcheberry, Lalas, Wynalda, Cobi Jones, Caligiuri, Balboa, Preki, John Doyle, Nowak, and a few others I can't spell, lol lol.