I agree. I'm not as upset as I thought I'd be. I really wander exactly what we payed him. If he's counting the full $350K or $400K or whatever it is against the salary then, I still don't like it as far as optimizing your roster; however, he is a strong striker that can hold the ball and he can finish. If Gullit can instill some professionalism into this guy, part of me (the Galaxy fan), says perhaps he can greatly reduce the whiny diving part of his game and regain some of the form he saw with his Galaxy breakthrough performances. I hope this means that the Galaxy will only now be acquiring a DP slot for years 2010 and 2011 for LD. I don't think our roster can handle another player taking up the max. Oh yeah, and I don't think it's quite the same as adopting LD. LD was always a key USMNT player so that tempered my hate. And Carlos Ruiz was a great Galaxy player, so even though he wasted a few years of his life in the red hula hoops, he still has a chance to "make good". This is hollywood, baby. The long shot kid from Guatemala makes it against all odds, stumbles and goes astray (forget that he was traded to FCD - we'll rewrite that as he was unhappy and wanted out and was led astray be an evil but charismatic Texan seductress), then returns to his beloved Navy and Gold (note - to special effects to edit out the green years in the old game highlights), makes peace with LD (mid game after a hard foul on LD, Carlos comes over helps him up says "let's do this!" and helps him up, LD wins a free kick, Beckham dead ball to Ruiz who does a back flip over a Dallas defender(Davino) and bicycles it home for the game winner, and cut to celebration and the Galaxy team lifting the trophy again. Queue the triumphant music and the slow-mo montage. Trickhog, are you available to put this one together?
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport...strike_star_could_be_forced_to_quit_hoops.php Maybe Zurawski is still considering LAG?
Beckham will handle Carlos. He will probably be FIT, Work harder, try hader, and have a great year. Guatemala Vs Argentina at the Coliseum FEB 6.
Hopefully it's a sign that the Galaxy front office is developing some patience. Dallas was the team over the barrel with Ruiz. Dallas wanted to move him out and they'd shown their hand. Not a great bargaining posiition. Of course on our side of the table was Alexi Lalas sitting there bouncing in his seat and clapping his hands, "Oh boy. We can't wait to get Ruiz! What do ya' want?" We really need a good draft, with lots of quality developmental players who won't take senior roster spots or much money. It could work, as long as we pick up enough assets so that we can trade for a DP spot in two years. With a lot of money now tied up in three players, I'd like to see the Galaxy play it straight from here out - Good young talented GA in the first round (Avila, let's say). That's one for the future (protected in expansion drafts and salary doesn't count against cap). Then look for a good mix of experience and potential in defenders and a left sided midfielder in the draft to cover those needs.
The wishful thinking part of me hopes that we acquired Ruiz with the intention of trading him elsewhere for something (anything) better. The reality check part of me realizes that we acquired Ruiz because Lalas really dug Carlos' Vanilla Ice hairstyle late last season.
I would just like to point out that the reason Ruiz is such a diver is that he wants to score goals, he doesn't care what he has to do to score them. Ruiz will realize he won't be the man stepping up to the penalty spot, nor is he sure to be the target of a free kick on this team. Something tells me with the type of service he will be getting from Becks and LD he wont want to dive, he'll just have to finnish. Well lets just hope I'm right at least.
My first thought is an entirely cynical one: The FO does not really care about addressing the needs of our team, rather they only care about making a splashy signing that might boost ticket sales. We're weakest in defense and outside midfield so we dump essentially our best defender (Canon) and get a forward that all signs point to being past his prime. Not cool in my book. My other concern is that our organization is showing again and again that it is not forward looking. The reason why the first time Ruiz as signed by us that it was such a revelation is that we plucked him from obscurity by doing some scouting and building relationships. We don't seem to ever do that anymore. All our aquisitions seem to be backwards looking. Ruiz used to be a great MLS player. Mathis was once a great galaxy player. Martino was once rookie of the year. Klein has been an MLS all star in the past. This league is moving forward not backwards and that makes aquisitions like the one today much much riskier. The teams that really seem to push the envelope in MLS are the ones that build relationships with agents in other countries and have a pipeline of talent from those areas. Look at DC and Dallas. Dallas is happy to see it's past move off it's books because it gives them cap space and the allocation money to bring new and hungary talent into the the league. Read through Goff's DC posts, they seem to have no shortage of promising South Americans queing up to play for DC. In theory, it should be easiest to get this talent to come to LA. Why wouldn't they want to play with Becks in a city that is full of their expatriots? Anyway, these are my first initial thoughts.
Think about it. Ruiz came into the exciting newer world of PHP and a potentially cooperative direction of complimentary players equaling his heart-felt passion for this game. He then resorted to disjointed behavior that resembles an organization floundering, sometimes flopping, in the effort. Would any of you stay in an organization that fails your inner passions? You would be doing the organization a disservice, as well as yours. And that's the message. Like a Denilson out of water, so goes the fish. Go where your drive is warranted. He'll get and provide service with Beckham and Donovan. I even imagine, that if Donovan stays, this will reignite Landon's career as well. If the more holistic AEG can integrate a more supportive cast, you guys are well on your way to a ton of exciting times!
Spry, I do agree with you about the price and the likelihood of injury. I am optimistic that Gullit and Beckham, and to some extent other guys like Klein and Donovan, will make it so the Galaxy's level of professionalism and fitness are second to none in the league. Ruiz seems older than he is, I think, because of his lake of professionalism in the past years. If he buys into it, he should be a highly reliable option for a few years to come. I'm also optimistic that the Galaxy do have quite a few draft picks this year, and that they are in a good position to pick up some important depth with young players. No these guys won't be great, but injury free, and with the team coached so many guys play and contribute (BTW I think Yallop's love of the short roster was the thing that finally did him in) we can as a team get a lot more out of players like Kirk, Tudela, Randolph, Findley, Sturgis than the Galaxy did in 2007. Hopefully this will offset the big chunks of money and experience all lumped into a few players (Becks, LD, Ruiz, Klein, Albright).
Well, then, in that case, I'm off the hook ....and let it be known that I absolutely HATE Carlos Ruiz. I can't stand him. I can't stand to watch him play. This trade makes me sick. I'm not saying he can't win me over, but.........
I pray to jesus Dear baby jesus in the sky why do you hate my team so? Please send me a sign that the big red head has not caused such an abomination upon you that he hath bestowed un to us a spoiled ocean dweller. Be this our bane of existance? Dear jesus I know my pray turned into a bad Jason Statham movie, like there be it a good one. ha ha jesus. But seriousthly what eth will we do about this situation eth? - Send sign immediately..... Amen, TequilaJoal.
My second thoughts are: A line up of: -----------------Ruiz----Buddle/Gordon/Pavon-------------- --------------------Donovan------------------------------- New LM-------------------------------------Becks -------------Vagenas/Gray/Harmse/------------------------ Randolph/Jazic----X/New CB--Harden------------Albright -----------------Cronin/experienced back up Has potential. It needs the missing peice at LM. It really really needs a better central defense or at least a much better defensive midfielder then we have seen so far. I would be seriously concerned about our defense and our ability to posess the ball from the back with our current group. If we can sign some upgraded CB's and LM and DM we might be alright. I wonder now if Pavon will try and come back for cheap to run with Ruiz up top... I'd love to find that dominating Defensive Middie that would allow us to play the above diamond formation. In reality I'm sure we'll be stuck with the box midfield with Donovan and Ruiz up top. This way, the FO can get away without bothering to sign outside midfielders and instead continue to try and rely on the outside backs of Albright and Randolph to get forward. I think it's a big mistake, I miss wing play, but I'm ready to bet money that is what we see.
I'm really looking for our organization to make good on promise for the future with a GA pickup in the draft. If that doesn't come then I think all of my optimism for next season may be severly tempered by the sense of impending doom for our future. And it's helpful to step back and look at the facts on Ruiz. He's 28 years old, has been remarkably consistent in the MLS averaging better than 0.5 G/90 min every year except last, and his one off year - which was still very solid and his goal rate was still better than anybody the Galaxy had. I don't think he's quite at the Mathis part of his career yet (although I would have liked to have seen Mathis stick for a reasonable salary). The unkown is always more sexy because of the seeming unlimited potential, but the known has the added benefit of lowering risk.
I have to say, I HATE this move. Carlos Ruiz represents everything that, IMHO, gives soccer a bad name in the US. Now as a season ticket holder with 2 boys who love the game, I'm suppose to (or worse ask them to) root for this guy? PATHETIC! If this trade had been made before I renewed my seats, I would have seriously have reconsidered; Beckham or no Beckham. The only worse news from this fan's perspective would be for the Galaxy to lose Landon. Clint Mathis and Carlos Ruiz? Is it me, or is it becoming a whole lot more fun to watch that other team playing in the Home Depot Center?
I am in awe at those who say this doesn't address our needs. We need quality strikers. Ruiz is just that. Our strikers were absolutely abismal last year. That should now change. We gave up a 2nd round draft pick and some allocation cash to get Ruiz. That is an absolute steal. Our defense, while atrocious at the beginning of the season, was a big part of our run at the end of our season. We will have Albright back, Roberts is healthy, Harden has a year of experience under his belt, Randolph is probably the best you RB prospect in the league now. If X is healthy and we can pick up some young guns in the fraft we should be ok. You are right about outside MF and we still have some time left before the season starts. What we don't know is how much allocation money we have left. Did we not have a nice stash of it before the Cannon trade? If we have enough to get some decent role players and Ruiz gets his head right, we will be heading in the right direction.
I don't care how much it cost, we NEEDED a forward who can draw a foul near the edge of the box. Hello, gang, we have David Beckham, who still hits the best free kick on the planet. We needed to be able to draw fouls in dangerous spots. Really, only Ruiz in MLS can do that consistently. We had none of that last year. I like this move knowing the baggage that accompanies it. Forget Ruiz' goal total, Beckham's just went up by at least 5-6.
By getting our asshat with his antics back, we've definitely taken care of one huge gap in our offense. Ruiz is proven, even when he's unmotivated he still retains his quality. Hopefully this move is what he needs to get back into shape. Right now, Ill take just about anyone who'll contribute to the team.
Okay. So we have the No. 1 (Ruiz) and No. 2 (Donovan) leading scorers in MLS playoff history. Now if we can just make the playoffs.
I think you have to find a place for Klein in there, if you're going to pay his salary. You have to put him in the midfield, or <don't laugh> I'd propose the experiment of putting him at CB. He played a lot of RB last year and in the down under tour he played some CB. In the little bit his distribution was great. He's a smart experienced player with a great work rate who has the size to play in the middle (although he's not great in the air). You partner him with someone else who can win the long ball in the air, and reap the benefits of being able to pass smoothly out of the back betwen Cronin, Albright, Becks, LD. This would have been better with Mathis in the midfield still of course. Anyway it's probably a terrible idea, but I'd really like to see us pass the ball out of the back more. Guys like Klein and Becks can make that long pass that diffuses high pressure.
You know, as much as some people hate it, I think this move makes sense for us. We, in effect traded a quality goalkeeper for a quality forward. I'm willing to be optimistic about this for the time being
Strikers are useless if not fed. We need the ball to create chances for our strikers and our current defensive minded players in the center of the park (DM and CB's) have not gotten the job done. Cannon was the #1 (with #2 not even being close) reason why our defense helped us down the stretch. The dude played phenominal. Without Cannon, Our 7 game unbeaten streak would have looked like this : 2W,2D,3L. I'm serious. I'm happy to have Ruiz but this can only be a first move by the FO. We must shore up the defensive part of our center and the attacking part of our width or we'll be doomed to another bad year.