Photo by ISI Photos
Los Angeles forward Carlos Ruiz will be out between four and six weeks with a torn meniscus in his right knee. The injury was discovered by team doctors on Tuesday morning.
Ruiz suffered the injury at the tail-end of the Galaxy’s 4-0 loss to Colorado on Saturday when Rapids rookie Ciaran O’Brien tackled him from behind. The tackle (pictured above) drew a red card and forced Ruiz off on a stretcher. In an unrelated report, Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark just bought Ciaran O’Brien a Rolex (okay, that last part is not true.)
Losing Ruiz for at least a month is disastrous for a Galaxy team already reeling from it’s season-opening loss. It leaves LA with Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon and rookie Ely Allen as forward partner options for Landon Donovan. Yes, that sound you hear is Ruud Gullit sobbing uncontrollably.
The Galaxy plays host to San Jose at Home Depot Center on ESPN2 on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m.
brett:
Sounds like this was just a minor misunderstanding.
I understood and heard about all of the Twellman bashing before, but I was just getting the feeling, like I said, that it was starting to cross a line.
You said:
“and my word wasnt a different word, it was just completely mispelled :D”
Actually, mediocracy is a word. I understand it may have just been a misspelling for you, but mediocracy is a word meaning mediocre king or ruler.
I feel stupid for not knowing this, but what is :D? I only know :)!
FINES AND SUSPENSIONS!!!!! (assuming its accurate)
http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/denver/soccer/2008/04/rapids_obrien_fined_suspended.html
“Major League Soccer fined Rapids rookie Ciaran O’Brien $500 and suspended him for two games”
and
“…Galaxy defender Abel Xavier…was fined $1,600 and suspended for one game.”
assuming the MLS fines by a percentage of what the players make…. obviously O’Brien’s foul was clumsy, but Xavier’s ejection was due to temper… which is the more pressing matter?? obviously O’brien’s foul caused an injury, but is it likely that Xavier could lose his temper again??
jb- how often does a tackle get this out of control?? there are bad tackles around every league… the kid was simply a rookie making a poor decision… i cant see that possibly having any factor on marketing to the youth…
the MLS maybe a clumsy league compared to others when it comes to tackling, but its far from being a league full of thugs… i dont see sportsmanship being an issue at all… this is blowing this isolated incident out of proportion
aristotle- again, my post was not to mock anyone… i just couldnt fathom the idea that so many people dont understand how a large number of mls/us fans truely dislike twellman (on the pitch)
trust me im not bothered about you taking a humorous jab at me… as i took it lightheartedly… this above post was simply pointing out the irony in that you rip into a kid about making fun of another kid for a spelling error, while (jokingly) you did the same… i agree now that its not quite the same, and my word wasnt a different word, it was just completely mispelled 😀
i did learn one thing… all this time i kept saying Team MedioCREWcy, now im going to have to correct it and say Team MedioCREWty??
Thanks Aristotle. I really did not intend to misspell Coundoul. I do think that any MLS team, with their marketing approach to families, must concern themselves with sportsmanship. This issue is also prevalent with Ice Hockey–and the Avalanche has price themselves out of the kid market.
But if you allow the thug factor, sponsored by the coaches, who work for the organization to exercise this “Let’s get him.” attitude, then you cannot market to youngsters.
I see nothing in the marketing plan for MLS to play up to the Hip-Hop set. This has almost killed the NBA.
brett:
You’re kidding right?
There’s a BIG difference in the two situations. Your post that you say wasn’t attacking us at the very least seemed to be mocking us because we we weren’t up to date on how Twellman was hated. So you were making fun of us to some extent. Also, I didn’t ATTACK you over your mistake like the person’s post you are referring to did in their post. I just pointed it out and had a little fun with it, similar to what you INITIATED with us. There was nothing malicious or mean intended. It also wasn’t a spelling error. It was the wrong word entirely. I didn’t just see your post with that mistake in it and say “Hey look at that idiot, he’s using the wrong word!” I did not insult you. I simply reflected the same kind of jab back at you as you directed at us. As in you couldn’t believe how uninformed we are, I in turn had some fun with pointing out you were using the wrong word to describe Twellman’s inadequacies. Besides it was funny. You don’t think it’s funny for someone belittling Twellman to refer to him as a ruler or a king? (Even if it is a mediocre one.):)
I’ve played against O’brien in high school and I’ve been his ref before. He is well known around the state of washington as being a real pain in the butt. He has always been a dirty player and is a player who will question every call he gets a chance to and will try to get under the skin of opposing players and coaches with his mouth and play. He played one year at san diego before being kicked off the team and having to transfer to UCSB. He will become a well-known player in this league for all the wrong reasons.
aristotle- “Also, judging someone by a spelling error? Grow up. ”
ooooooh the irony…. while i accepted that i mispelled the word, you clearly feel the need to “” it on another unrelated post…. funny b/c none of my posts even came close to attacking you and you feel the need to take jabs… what was it you said??
“I don’t understand why you don’t follow your own advice”
White Kix- again, overreacting… yes it was a bad challenge, but honestly, the kid’s first game as a professional.. he’s bound make a bad decision… he’s got a game suspension, and i wouldnt object to seeing another 2 or 3 tacked on… the kid made a poor decision, what footballer hasnt?? mind you it may not have led to an injury, but every player makes stupid fouls…
aristotle- yes overreacting…
oh his mediocrity (thanks aristotle)on the nats is only part of my dislike for tightshirt… ive already pointed out im a bitter Fire fan… put the two together and you may understand why i quite enjoy that he’ll be sidelined for 3 months…. i wouldnt wish a career ending injury on the guy, but 3 months without Tightshirt is a good 3 months…
ive already pointed out the teams are going to be thinned on the roster, but its 1 player not in the starting XI per team per expansion…. thats going to be 2 players on the bench that will see 1st team play (most likely), altho they may not be the most skilled, this kid who caused the injury was not drafted by an expansion team… with 2 more drafts and 2 more years of recruiting players, the depth of the teams will be a bit better (nothing grand mind you)…. if it werent for expansion teams, players like Grabavoy would still be rotting away on the bench (he saw some games,but when ur PT is cut b/c of guys like Scheletto, what can he do)…
the kid was a rookie, not a thug… he made a poor decision, that in the end resulted in an injury… we see tons of such fouls every day in every league… it was just unfortunate it turned out as bad as it did…
Landon shouldn’t be punished. Obrien needed to get his butt kicked for that challenge. That was a terrible challenge. It is those kinds of tackles that ruin the game, not the so called “diving” that everyone complains about. Obrien should be out as long as Ruiz is. MLS needs to get rid of that kind of play, and I think there first step in doing so should be to ban Kovalenka for life.
brett:
Actually I didn’t mean it is just MLS that has thugs. I think I mentioned MLS specifically because there seems to be so many players in MLS lacking in skill that seem to use this as a way to get by. It sucks no matter where it is.
I’m overreacting? This coming from the guy who hates Taylor Twellman and doesn’t mind seeing him sidelined because he has a tight shirt and because of his “mediocracy” on the national team?
Kei Kamara and Gavin Glinton should not be on MLS teams. This is just the start. SJ is only the fourteenth team. There are at least two more teams to fill out, and people are talking about more after that? Where are those players going to come from?
aristotle- pls point out a league without “thugs” in it…. you have players who go in hard on tackles, whether from smart locations or not…. you see broken legs, season ending injuries, anything… italy and england for sure have physical players who act as the “muscle” in the midfield….
this is not the case of a “thug” in the MLS… it is a rookie who got over eager to make a name for himself and made a foolish tackle…. at which point you probably wont be seeing too much from him for the rest of the season anyhow…
i believe you are over reacting to this quite a bit…. most of the expansion teams starting XI have been in the league for some time… just look at SJ’s team… most of them have seen 1st team play in the MLS for several seasons…. ill agree that the expansion teams thin out the current rosters a tad year to year…
It is hard to feel any kind of sympathy for a guy like Ruiz – he represents most of what is wrong with soccer in this hemisphere
Seeing the foul, I think that it only merited a yellow. I see it more as an over stimulated rookie making a clumsy lunge at a ball he wasn’t going to get to. He did not intentionaly make contact.
Not a Galaxy fan but they could be better this year. I think their lineup is weaker or at least less deep than last year. However they can’t possibly be as unlucky in injuries. They had five or six guys out at all times last year.
And, yes, I also find Lalas annoying.
I give him a 30% chance of returning next year. Gullit I give 50%.
Joey:
“you don’t need to feel compelled to write whatever the foolish voices in your head tell you.”
I don’t understand why you don’t follow your own advice.
Everything in your post is foolish. Calling the tackle clean is absurd. At the very least it was from behind so he was deliberately committing what he knew was a yellow card offense and anything that ensues from it is his responsibility. Hating Carlos Ruiz is not justification for defending this tackle. Also, JB is hardly defending Ruiz, half his post is critical of Ruiz.
You’re the one who is “foolish” and should be “embarrassed”. Telling JB he can’t call for an investigation because he is a Colorado fan? Then you can’t make these ridiculous comments because you are a Ruiz hater. Also, judging someone by a spelling error? Grow up. The funny thing is that it’s not even a spelling error in the traditional sense. It is a transposition error. He reversed the letters which is extremely common. You can tell this by the fact that he spells the name correctly the second time. You’re obviously perfect and immune to such human tendencies. Oh wait, no you’re not. You misspelled Clavijo. By your own admission you must be an idiot.
Then there is no logic at all in this statement: “Do you think Claviijo seriously called for an intentional injury to Ruiz with the team up 4-0?”
What better time would there be to have someone retaliate for abuse against your players than when you are up 4-0 and can absorb the red card? Duh!
Not everyone has some special ax to grind or a bias when they post. Let me guess. I am a Carlos Ruiz fan? Hardly. A Galaxy fan? No.
This has to be one of the dumbest posts attacking someone else I have ever seen.
By the way, to “JB”: it is inherently ridiculous for a person who is a self-proclaimed Rapids fan to not only call for an investigation into what was an admittedly rough but clean play, but to misspell the name of Bouna Coundoul. You are a peculiar type of fan, indeed, and I’m embarrassed on behalf of Rapids fans that you spread your tripe and call yourself a fellow fan. Do you think Claviijo seriously called for an intentional injury to Ruiz with the team up 4-0? JB, you don’t need to feel compelled to write whatever the foolish voices in your head tell you.
Those of you who feel the tackle on Ruiz was dirty are either misguided and confused, or just plain lame Galaxy fans (you should be embarrassed for yourselves, SoCal monkeys). I attended the game in CO, and watched the play again on TV after I got home. Though it was a rough tackle, it wasn’t dirty or an intentional attack. There is absolutely no cause to suspend Ciaran O’Brien; he didn’t even deserve a red card, the foul perhaps merited a yellow. Ruiz is such a ridiculous flopper that he makes you want to smash his legs up (a la Kathy Bates in Misery), but the play in which he was injured was clean.
Ruiz raked Conduol twice during the game. Even my wife wondered about who would retaliate. He played Condoul, he played the ref, he tried Urpan and the young centerback on the Rapids and when the rookie got in, the foul ensued. Did Coach C order a retaliation? If so, there should be penalties against the Rapids. And I am one of their fans.
Ruiz raked Conduol twice during the game. Even my wife wondered about who would retaliate. He played Condoul, he played the ref, he tried Urpan and the young centerback on the Rapids and when the rookie got in, the foul ensued. Did Coach C order a retaliation? If so, there should be penalties against the Rapids. And I am one of their fans.
Ruiz raked Conduol twice during the game. Even my wife wondered about who would retaliate. He played Condoul, he played the ref, he tried Urpan and the young centerback on the Rapids and when the rookie got in, the foul ensued. Did Coach C order a retaliation? If so, there should be penalties against the Rapids. And I am one of their fans.
Man, talk about predictable. I am so sick of thugs in MLS.
This is why I am against anymore expansion. The league has so few players, and what little they do have, are usually injured by thugs who can’t play soccer. Two of the top goal scorers in past years, and one of the best mid-fielders, gone with long term injuries on opening day. I’m sure there is much more to come.
Anyone want to bet on how long Beckham is going to last?
L.A. is going to be the biggest disaster in the history of the league. All that money to bring in fans and increase interest in the league is going to end up doing just the opposite.
Can we get some sources for this? I don’t see this popping up on any other site so I think this is an April Fool’s joke.
It was a horrible tackle from behind. Knee high scissors job. Fortunately, Ruiz was not planted or it would have been season ending. A lot of Galaxy fans hate Ruiz diving and whining, and there is a certain justice about it, but the tackle was inexcusable and very dangerous. The league needs to get the refs to call things much tighter, especially when the game is out of reach.
Donovan was right to be angry, but not right to put his hands on O’Brien.
No, Eugene, you are not alone. I thought the same thing. Especially considering what MLS — and make no mistake, it is at MLS’s direction to the refs — lets the players otherwise get away with …
Am I the only one who thinks O’Brien’s tackle was actually not that bad and likely deserved only a yellow? I mean, it was studs down, even if it was from behind.
I think Ruiz was a bit unlucky to get injured as badly as he did from the knee-to-knee contact, but the actual challenge from O’Brien wasn’t nearly as aggressive as others I’ve seen in MLS.
eh, even though I don’t like LA this is bad for MLS.
The Galaxy loses to San Jose at Home Depot Center on ESPN2 on Thursday night at 10:30 p.m.
—–
There, fixed that.
Is one of the replacements for Ruiz taller? Because Ruiz couldn’t connect on all of Beckham’s crosses, anyway, so it could work out for them. But what’s a rookie doing on the Galaxy?
I agree Eugene. Landon should have at least gotten a yellow.
That was a really dirty tackle by O’Brien, I hope thats not who he is as a player, because we do not need that in this league.
Eugene, you should know this by now, it will be mickey mouse and side with the Galaxias. It will be like this til a Mark Cuban-like owner stands up to the league and complains
AAAAHAHAAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sweet. Just lost two of my fantasy strikers.
Good. But Landon Donovan also deserved a straight red card for putting his hand on O’Brien’s throat. That’s a straight red in any league. Will MLS dole out some punishment to its pretty boy, or will it be mickey mouse about the post-O’Brien tackle melee?
Living in CT, I can hear the Galaxy fans cheering from here, not because their striker is out and will miss a few games, but because if they go on a 4-6 game skid there is a chance Lalas will be fired
You do not need a REASON to kick Ruiz!
a rookie trying to make a name for himself actually ends up taking ruiz out for a month?? oh the gods have shed their love for us MLS fans… first news of Tightshirt needing surgery off of warm-ups and then ruiz out for a month (at least)… oh and to think i thought this day would be boring 😀
of course i normally wouldnt wish injury on players, but that doesnt mean i cant bask in it tho…
ironic isnt it?? Revs have a chance to trade tightshirt and get $$ for him, they decline then he needs surgery by a warmup on the first game…. XD poor revs…
Too bad for Becks and the Galaxy. O’Brien should be fined and suspended for that tackle. That wasn’t necessary up 4-0 with the match about to end. Good for Donovan to stick up for his teammate. (Donovan went at O’Brien after the tackle.)
Gee, we Quakes fans are really going to miss out on seeing the Flopping Fish Thursday night. Also, nobody makes your defense look good quite like Buddle.
The only thing that really upsets me about this bit of news is that it’ll only encourage Ruiz when he returns– gee, ref, remember, I really was hurt that one time! Believe me, I’m getting fouled here! No, seriously! I’m not faking!
Beckham deserves a team period. I bet they wish they kept Mathis.
Does anyone have a youtube link to the tackle?
Yup, Lalas isn’t going to last with all this news. Too bad for Beckham who should deserve a better team.
Ives,
Any truth to rumors that the FBI is checking into large sums of money being transferred out of Ricardo Clark’s account last month. They are trying to determine if there are any ties with Clark and the Ruiz hit.
I dislike Ruiz as a player as a result of watching numerous games where he barely gets touched and falls down clutching his shin/ankle as if it were the worst pain he’s ever experienced. He flops more than a fish out of water, imo.
I watched the game he got hurt in, and honestly my initial thoughts were, “Here we go again!!” I hate to see any professional go down as a result of a dirty play, but Ruiz is as dirty a player as there is, so not much love lost from this MLS fan for his woes.
Sucks for Twellman and NER, but after the game on Saturday I truly believe NER will be fine. They may have an up-and-coming star in Christman who should get the nod now.
For a from-behind tackle while up 4-0, there’s very little justification for O’Brien. Maybe a ‘galaxy’ of MLS fans are delighted that the ‘dirtiest’ MLS player got his due. But for the good of the league and the sport it seems a longer suspension and fine should be in order for O’brien. Curious how the league will respond to this given that the LA Galaxy desperately need Ruiz.
ouch! also, just read that twellman is out of action for that amount of time.
though some doubt of ruiz’s scoring ability lately, it is a shame that two of the leading goal-scores the last few years, have been sidelined so early in the season.
Hopefully, they will be back to help their respective teams by end of May… Galaxy definitely will need ‘el pescadito’!
A little late smorebs, the Fire Lalas movement was created the day he was hired.
I’ll start it now….Fire Lalas now! There is no way LA can even compete with this, a worse line up than last year.