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D.C. United pick up Ruiz via MLS Allocation Process

By IVES GALARCEP

D.C. United were looking to boost their stable of forwards and they have turned to a player with a track record of scoring goals in MLS.

D.C. acquired Guatamalan striker Carlos Ruiz via the MLS Allocation process on Wednesday, becoming the fifth team in MLS that Ruiz has called home.

The ninth all-time leading goal scorer in MLS history with 88 goals, Ruiz returns to MLS after spending time in Mexico and Guatemala. He last played in MLS with the Philadelphia Union in 2011.

The former MLS MVP and MLS Cup champion with the LA Galaxy (in 2002) is 33, but he showed just last fall against the U.S. Men’s National Team that he can still score goals. He has also had a history of being a notorious diver, which is why he returns to MLS as one of the most hated players in the league.

Ruiz joins a D.C. forward stable that includes Chris Pontius, Lionard Pajoy, Casey Townsend and Rafael Teixeira de Souza.

Ruiz retired from the Guatamalan national team last fall after the team’s elimination from World Cup qualifying. He finished as Guatamala’s all-time leading scorer with 55 goals.

What do you think of the signing? See Ruiz still being an effective goal scorer in MLS? Think he’s not worth it at this point in his career? Consider him the biggest villain in the league now that Rafa Marquez is gone?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. As a RBNY fan, I predict a past-his-due-date “el pescadito” will only score three goals. Sadly, all three will be against RBNY, as we find another way to crash and burn vs. the scum.

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  2. My understanding is that all clubs passed on him with their allocation slots and then DCU signed him. Evidently the league signed him, made him available to clubs and only after everyone passed did DCU take him. So…he’s not trade bait for Chivas (since they could have used their slot on him and they didn’t).

    I’m not so wild about this pickup. Probably helps pull in some Guatemalan fans (a big hispanic base in DC, bigger than the Mexican population). Probably still a good finisher. He’s always been a locker-room cancer. Olsen was always an irritant on the field and so is Ruiz. But I don’t think Ruiz provides the defense, high pressure, and hustle/work that Olsen likes from his forwards. He’s basically a cheaper (Goff says about $150k) hispanic version of Salihi…basically a good poacher.

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  3. Why did he get picked up thru the Allocation Process I thought that was only for returning USMNT players???? Or players that played for the USMNT coming to play in MLS regardless if they played in MLS before or are youth players with a cap or 2 like with Gale Boss…???

    Wouldn’t the Union have the rights to Ruiz and they would need compensation? Ives can you clarify?

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  4. As a sub I think he’s a good addition to the team. He’ll be someone good coming off the bench that might be able to poach a goal late in the game. It’s something the team has lacked.

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  5. not to mention, this move probably boost dc united annual att. figures up by maybe a full RFK stadium worth of people. its like an extra home game on the attendance sheet for free.

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  6. I’m pretty sure Pontius won’t get too many looks at forward this year. However, De Rosario ought to be included in the forward stable, since that’s where he’ll line up.

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  7. this is why dc united is the top soccer team in MLS history. ruiz scores more than half a goal every 90 minutes. .59 to be exact. this move catipults DCU to odds on favorite to win MLS cup this season.

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    • I will reserve judgement on the move but he does have a track record of scoring goals. He wasn’t my favorite for the U . . . but he did score 6 goals for us in 14 matches . . .

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  8. I have no good feelings about this. In every place he has been recently there was little serious success. I would like to think they know what they are doing.

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  9. Good pick up for DC, he is incredibly annoying but extremely savvy around the box. If the chemistry is good between the attackers, he’ll probably put in 10 goals. Also, he immediately takes the “most annoying forward to play against” title from Lenny…

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    • I’m not saying you’re not right in terms of his not being a good influence in the locker room, but he’s probably one of the three deadliest finishers in MLS history, If you can bury the ball in the back of the net consistently, there’s always someone who will convince themselves the headaches are worth the production.

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    • My thoughts exactly. He’s not an Olsen player. He’s lazy, he’s a diver, and he brings chaos with him wherever he goes. This won’t end well.

      Someone else said he’s trade bait to Chivas. But they have no one available worth selling.

      This is desperation. We were pretty much promised a DP striker. Ruiz is not that. However I’d take him over our other strikers.

      DeLeon-Kitchen-?-Pontius

      ——-DeRo—–Ruiz——-

      It’s good. The bench is terrible. The ? Is because I’m still hopeful we bring in a creative midfielder.

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      • We got a kid who has yet to perform at a big stage in an impressive way. He is a not a DP in the “right here, right now” way we wanted and needed.

      • yeah, compared to our current strikers, he’s not too bad. that is, if he even shows up to the games. there’s a reason he’s had 4 different clubs in the last 2 years.

        and i’ll never stop hating him. now i know what nyrb fans felt like when rafa was signed, except without the high expectations.

    • While I don’t like him, we got him for about as cheaply as you can get a veteran player in MLS. Assuming he limits the gamesmanship and diving to a level where I don’t get concussions from repeatedly smashing my head against the wall and scores some goals I have few complaints with this move.

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    • He doesnt seem to flop around as much as he did earlier in his career; alot of the abuse he gets is, IMO, based on his reputation and not on his actions. If he can still score goals, he deserves a shot.

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    • Depends what you want to call D.C. United formations. If you want to call them 4-5-1 then sure, he doesn’t, but if you want to call them 4-3-3, he absolutely does play as a forward, and as advanced as Pontius spends his time positionally it isn’t really a reach to say he plays as a wide forward in a 4-3-3 quite a bit.

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