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MLS Ticker: Red Bulls eyeing Tainio, Union close to signing Ruiz and more

Tainio (Reuters Pictures)

By AVI CREDITOR

After a rather quiet offseason in terms of player moves, the New York Red Bulls are reportedly close to making a big splash in the transfer market.

According to reports out of the Netherlands, the club has a two-year offer on the table to Ajax midfielder and Finland international Teemu Tainio (pictured above, left), who has fallen out of favor at the club and can be had on a free transfer.

The Red Bulls confirmed via their Twitter feed that Tainio is currently training with the team.

Tainio, 31, is a versatile player who can line up anywhere in the midfield. He previously played for AJ Auxerre, Tottenham, Sunderland and Birmingham City and has been a regular with the Finland national team.

Here are a few more items from around the league:

UNION CLOSE IN ON RUIZ

"El Pescadito" could be making his return to MLS.

According to reports out of his native Guatemala, Carlos Ruiz is set to be announced as the newest member of the Philadelphia Union.

It's not the first time that Ruiz, a former MLS Most Vaulable Player, has been linked with the Union. SBI reported in April that the club filed a discovery claim on the striker in hopes of adding him to its offensive arsenal.

Ruiz was most recently playing with Aris Salonika in Greece but agreed with the team to have his contract terminated.

GALAXY, EARTHQUAKES DRAW

Mike Magee headed home a Paolo Cardozo free kick in the 84th minute to help the Los Angeles Galaxy salvage a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes in preseason action on Thursday at the Home Depot Center.

The Earthquakes took an early lead on Ike Opara's fourth-minute goal.

UNION DROP USF

Sebastien Le Toux and Danny Mwanga accounted for the goals, as the Philadelphia Union defeated the University of South Florida, 2-0, in a preseason scrimmage in Orlando.

Le Toux finished off a Justin Mapp pass in the 19th minute for his second goal of the preseason. He then played the role of provider, setting up Mwanga for a 33rd-minute tally.

TFC FALLS TO DINAMO ZAGREB

Toronto FC yielded two goals to Dinamo Zagreb in the first seven minutes and couldn't recover, falling to the Croatian power, 3-1, in Turkey.

Trialist Gianluca Zavarise scored the lone goal for TFC. 

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Do you think Tainio would be a good fit for the Red Bulls? How do you see Ruiz faring in Philadelphia, should he sign there? Do any of the preseason results stick out for you?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Hilarious that an obviously, grossly undereducated person would try to make a joke about smarts… lol.

    We already get more diving than we need out of Tino. There are very few fans of DC United who’d want anything to do with that chump. He’s dishonest on and off the field. No thanks.

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  2. What piece of trash education do you have? Columbia is not the school or university Fredy Montero attended if any, COLOMBIA is the country where Fredy was born!

    Montero may dive from time to time in all MLS games, but that guy plays hard as hell and is pure class. Not 1 team in MLS that wouldn’t like to have him

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  3. Ruiz is not what he used to be. The U are in dire need of an AM type player. This move won’t help. Ruiz is washed up and I hope this deal doesn’t get finalized.

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  4. …who still, in my opinion, has a great future, look at Buddle for an example of a guy who came on later in his career despite flashes along the way. But let’s be honest, the weight of expectation hurt Adu’s development.

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  5. the Union didnt get full quality flop from Moreno despite expectations so they had to turn to the master “fish” himself, Carlos Ruiz.

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  6. Ruiz to the Union? Well I guess that Peter Nowak figures that they are not dirty enough. Plus with Alejandro Moreno gone they need someone to dive all over the pitch.

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  7. makes for a good 4-2-3-1… hell everyone else is doing it. Isn’t Marquez also a decent central defender as well? Dont count that out.

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  8. I do not think Carlos Ruiz is good enough to propel Philadelphia to the playoffs, anyway. I would rather take a chance on playing the two ultra-talented young strikers together early, and hope that by midseason they have developed chemistry and are scoring goals. You cannot hide these guys just because you are scared of losing games and ultimately losing them to Europe.

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  9. So you are OK with not making the playoffs again? Then once all these players do grow they all leave and we do the same dance over again? A team needs to be built with youth and vets.

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  10. I would rather the Union continue to focus on developing Mwanga and Jack Mac rather than waste time on a striker that is quickly approaching over the hill status.

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  11. RBNY fans are disgusted by Marquez’s behavior during the 2002 World Cup, but he’s part of the team so we have to kind of let it go. Sometimes, it isn’t easy.

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  12. For all of the Chicago Fire fans out there: Any of you sick hearing all about the moves all the other teams are making, reading about all the preseason games the other teams are playing, and how ALL THE OTHER TEAMS are doing something!!!!!!!

    I understand they are training in Bridgeview and they are scheduled to head down to Florida within the next week but considering we are a month and a half away and we have a brand new team, why are we now behind every team in the MLS in terms of training?

    I just don’t get it. I am a die hard and will defend them to the end but the end is very near and the season has not started.

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  13. meh, gives me a reason to actually hate on the PU. Ruiz is perhaps only matched in stink by that Columbian piece of trash that wears the 17 in Seatlle.

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  14. Tainio is easily an upgrade in that holding role and at a respectable age. That would allow Marquez to play as a CB making NY, arguably, the powerhouse defense.

    Tainio’s work rate would also allow Tchani to push further up.

    A team like NY who have said they are gunning for silverware at home and abroad, need quality depth. Due to salary caps, the usual MLS “depth” is full of folks not qualified to play. When an opportunity like this comes along – as NY, you have to take it. Depth wins leagues/tournaments.

    And all this from a DC fan…

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  15. This Union fan wants no part of that dirty piece of crap Ruiz.

    I still haven’t forgiven him for the Tim Howard kick and for his constant flopping. I despised Moreno for the flopping as well.

    How do you Red Bull/USMNT fans deal with Marquez? Did you let bygones be bygones right away or did it take time or do you still hold that grudge?

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  16. Ruiz and Mwanga , with Le Toux on the right would give a BIG headache to defenders. I hate the Ruiz flops around, but i have always respected his game otherwise. Philly really needs more attacking options, and this signing is perfect. Ruiz is a proven goal scoring machine in MLS. Hopefully he still has it. More hopefully, he has learned some good sportsmanship.

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  17. Ives has said repeatedly that Tchani is an offensive player and they’re hesitant to use him in the holding role, which is why Marquez played it last year. If this guy can play the holding position we can have tchani playing more offensive with lindpere/richards outside. Now, what we do with Balouchy, is a real question…

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  18. Thats also the prbolem. Do they really need another holding midfielder? Tchani is young and proved last year that he could play the holding midfield spot well. I see this as another Salou signing, expensive and not worth it.

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  19. He’s a good player. I remember him from his Spurs days. He’s more of a ball winner with a high work rate in the central midfield. If they sign him, won’t he compete against Lindpere, Tchani, and Marquez (if he plays in midfield)?

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  20. It doesn’t mean they are claiming to be the first team to have ever heard of him. It’s about calling dibs on a guy so you can work on terms with MLS to bring him in.

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  21. How can the union file a discovery claim on Ruiz. Is that almost like rewritting the history books saying that Bill Gates discovered America.

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  22. Why do the Red Bulls need yet another midfielder? I’ve heard he can play right back but its not his natural position so would he really be that much of an upgrade over Albright?

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