Last year, I met a young Salvadoran man at La Oficina, a bar on Mission Street in San Francisco. He showed me pictures of his wife and children. One day, he said, he hoped they would be able to join him in the United States. In the meanwhile, he sends them money he earns as a construction worker. Talk of his family far away stirred his homesickness and put him in a somber mood. I changed the topic. I asked him if he followed soccer, and started mentioning MLS’s Salvadoran players, beginning with the San Jose Clash’s Ronald Cerritos. He brightened up, and whenever we agreed on something — such as Raul Diaz Arce’s shooting prowess — he celebrated by engaging me in a very complicated hand-shake. By the time we got to Dallas’ Jorge Rodriguez, I had mastered the shake — though my fingers ached — and he was all smiles. It’s not often that you can lift someone’s mood simply by invoking MLS. But if the person is Salvadoran-American, the chances aren’t half bad. Look around the MLS stadiums, particularly in Los Angeles — the city with the largest Salvadoran population outside San Salvador — San Jose, Washington, D.C., and Dallas and you’ll see the blue-and-white Salvadoran flags and shirts. Wherever Mauricio Cienfuegos, Diaz Arce, Cerritos or Rodriguez play, they increase the attendance with their personal following. They have a profound influence on their home crowds. The league did itself a huge favor by finally agreeing to new terms with Diaz Arce and Cienfuegos. The four Salvadorans — especially the three attackers — are among the league’s best players. They entertain all fans. And their Salvadoran following — which at the San Jose-Los Angeles game April 3 comprised more than a third of the crowd — helps pay all the players’ salaries. FANS: LET’S HEAR YOUR VIEW Click here to log onto (Soccer) American Graffiti. Then click on the topic titled “YOUR VIEW: The league’s best fans” and respond to Mike Woitalla in 200 words or less. Best responses may be reprinted in Soccer America Magazine. If YOUR View is selected, we’ll send you a cool T-shirt and pin… Because You’re FANATIC.