Photo by ISIphotos.com
The Philadelphia Union signed forward Carlos Ruiz on Tuesday, adding the mercurial striker and one-time Major League Soccer MVP to its roster in a move that has been expected for some time.
The 31-year-old Ruiz, signed on free transfer from Aris FC in Greece, won the league MVP and Golden Boot while a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2002 and is Guatemala's all-time leading scorer. He also played for FC Dallas and Toronto FC before leaving MLS after the 2008 season.
By adding Ruiz, the Union now have him, Sebastien Le Toux, Danny Mwanga, Chris Agorsor and Jack McInerney among its attacking options.
Do you like the signing of Ruiz for the Union? Do you think "El Pescadito" will find more success in MLS?
Share your thoughts below.
So “soccer” isn’t “real football”? Run along.
Uhmmm their league is a bedrock and birth of players that are ferocious and tenacious defenders liek the Paraguayan Nat’l Team is. Their standout players go on to Europe and/or Mexico and are successful. Their national team is better than ours. They compete in la Libertadores and Sudamericana which are 100 times better than CONCACHAMPIONS league. Ohh and did I forget to mention the domination Mexican teams have in the latter tourny and how our best teams struggle. So go figure. Ruiz played in Olimpia which is one of their biggest if not the biggest team down there and did so successfully. C’mon guys check your facts and stop just following ‘soccer’ but the real football played outside our borders.
Uhmmm their league is a bedrock and birth of players that are ferocious and tenacious defenders liek the Paraguayan Nat’l Team is. Their standout players go on to Europe and/or Mexico and are successful. Their national team is better than ours. They compete in la Libertadores and Sudamericana which are 100 times better than CONCACHAMPIONS league. Ohh and did I forget to mention the domination Mexican teams have in the latter tourny and how our best teams struggle. So go figure. Ruiz played in Olimpia which is one of their biggest if not the biggest team down there and did so successfully.
…the Cancer has returned!
Paraguay is not a better league.
Paraguay does not have a better league than us. There is no way. I used to live down in that area. No way.
No he is not better than JPA but much cheaper and issue is does he have the professionalism to stay in shape. If he does then he is equally as lethal if not the simple fact that in 2002 and 2003 in MLS he dominated the league like JPA wishes he would had. For giving that 1st star to my gaLAxy I’ll be forever grateful.
Yeah and since leaving MLS he has played in three stronger leagues. Mexico, Paraguay and Greece. That’s without mentioning he scored on Atletico in the Europa League. I’m not a Ruiz apologist but get your sh## and facts straight people!
I bet you are one of those that cried foul what Gattuso did last week. Stop being infantile and grow some brains. What Rico did was distasteful and out of context from this sport. Barbaric to put it mildly. Even Rico has apologized.
Fish went to Paraguay after MLS and did very well but didn’t stay because Puebla of Mexico offered him more money. The team he played was Olimpia which is the biggest in Paraguay. In Mexico he did ok but left or started having issues because the team wasn’t paying him. Then he went to Aris and DID MORE THAN EJ AND FREDDY ADU COMBINE. Look up your facts. He fizzled out after a while but the main thing is that he got in shape. Last competitive game he had was with Guatemala in the UNCAF tourny to qualify teams to the Gold Cup. He like the rest of the national team had a horrible tournament. So the key is if he stays in shape and since leaving MLS he has played in three more competitive and better leagues. I hate it when people just comment to be negative. Just a reminder that this guy was leading scorer in two consecutive seasons.
Philly’s soccer will get even more beautiful and honest than it was last year. Yup.
+1
I’m getting one of those huge diver down flags they use on dive boats!
You knew the first comment was going to be negative and contain some form of the word “flop.”
Personally I like any guy who can make so many people hate him for the way he plays a sport. It’s entertaining to watch so many people get so indignant over something so trivial.
I won’t be buying season tix again if they keep this up. I can’t root for this clown.
Start bringing your diving score cards back to match days.
Well, I now have a reason to root against the Union.
Probably not, but he sure should be cheaper.
All non-DP salaries are paid by the league. But, of course I agree they should spend the salary cap wisely. Let’s hope they aren’t paying him too much. They do need the depth at forward.
Ives, when you come to Philly to interview El Pescadito, you can go to dinner at Little Fish @ 746 S. Sixth St. in Queen Village http://littlefishbyob.com/
Bring me with you!
Huh… who knew that “mercurial” was another word for d-bag.
MLS, take heed. Ruiz turns me off as he represents all the bad things about pro soccer and none of the good. I don’t like watching him or his stupid antics. As a result, I actively avoid tuning in any game in which he is involved and would never attend one in which he played.
Nope, just one, not playing in MLS.
The other is a washed-up shadow of what a former successful MLS striker in a weaker league once looked like.
And he’s ungodly lazy, with a bad attitude. Terrible signing for …oh wait, it’s Philly. I hate Philly.
Great signing!
Not really a good comparison, but good try!
So nobody else has said it yet… Now there will be two ahtletes named Carlos Ruiz in Philadelphia!
Unimpressed MLS fan is unimpressed. Being from one of the many deadzones devoid of any professional soccer representation here in the US, I tend to choose “my team” based on the make-up of the rosters, play style, coaching, etc. Generally if a team is made up of likable players/coaches and plays a style that doesn’t make me want to gouge out my own eyes or take up watching golf for excitement I’ll cheer them on. This signing makes me cross Philly off the list of teams I’ll cheer for this year. There were many things about Philly that I liked last season, but those things are negated by Ruiz’s presence. His antics on the field are not something I will devote any of my time watching this season. I had hoped that MLS was moving beyond the need of these re-treads and “also-rans.”
Well, I have aq new team to HATE.
People who are in the know: is he a better pickup than JPA would have been? I was bummed JPA didn’t get to come to Philly but I really have nothing to base Ruiz on.
+1
he actually scored, unlike nery castillo did!!! and scored in Uefa Cup games!
Y’all are all haters
I saw Fish play in Greece and he is back to his weight when he started in LA and scored 20 something goals. This is a great signing and will have Philly competing now to win the East.
According to uefa.com, he had 3 goals in 8 Europa league (qualifying plus group play) appearances last year.
Phili union needs to spend there 12 million that bimbo gave to sponsor them wisely. Not in players like this. WTF in the pic he looks like a pedo lol.
That’s what Wikipedia says, but I distinctly remember him scoring a few in Europa league play.
He did so bad they signed Nery Castillo to replace him….that should tell you all you need to know.
He managed to score once in 15 matches.
Anyone know how he did at Aris? That may be an indicator, either way, of things to come in MLS.
Not impressed at all. The Union need to spend some money and sign someone with true striker ability.
i dont know whether to laugh at that picture or be scared
“el excremento” has returned to MLS!
Someone to fill Alejandro Moreno’s shoes…and actually score with them.
This is an epic un-event. I doubt he does much. Maybe 3 goals on the season judging by his previous time in MLS before he left. The league gets stronger every year.
Attacking options or diving options?
i would really like to see Jack Mac get some playing time, but with those options it could difficult for him.
fredy montero before fredy montero. the good and the bad.
Moreno flopped around too. Both are 31. Both can hold it up. But only one can score. As long as the wages aren’t exorbitant, I like it.
Rico! Rico! Rico!
Floppers of the world unite!! Can’t wait for the entertainment. We need more guys like him around.
Hate the flopping that he always did but he is a goal scorer. The time he spent in Dallas I always liked his scoring ability but could have done without some of the rest.
flopping little fish provides much-needed comic relief to the league. the guy is a joke. where’s rico clark when you need him?
😉