you think so? i thought for columbus it made sense, he fits the culture their, and their playing style. but in dallas, i just dont see the value.
Working on the assumption that the reports in this article are accurate.... we can assume that this less than half of a chance is the reason that we dumped Ruiz for a bag of air. So, either we took a very stupid risk, with a low chance of success and pinned the future season of the franchise on winning this low percentage raffle ticket...... highly unlikely or despite what we were told, there really was never a plan. We just simply dumped Ruiz. What the hell is wrong with this coach, that he would put his own selfish and petty issues above the team and its fans? What the hell is wrong with the GM, that he would knowingly allow such stupidity? What the hell is wrong with the ownership group that they would allow so much of their money and value thrown away? What do all of the above people think of us as fans, that they would tell us the most stupid of lies and expect us to believe them? All along, I thought they would trot out some easy to work with goofball to replace Ruiz. Actually, they don't even have a goofball lined up. When they are up in their luxury suite, do you think they spit on the paying customers below and laugh at them?
From reading the news links on the Crew board, it sounds like HSG wouldn't offer him a firm deal so he took another deal. After seeing how long it took to sign Denilson, that really doesn't surprise me.
The worst thing about this is that FCD might have been abe to get him, as Celtic dropped thier price to $500,000. I think the reason for his move was due to Leo Benhakker told him his spot with the Naitonal Team was in jeopardy, so he had to get someplace whre he could play right away, in a league that LB could watch him regularly. It points out an interesting difference between the real Hoops and FCD. Celtic loses a midfileder, and bring in two more. Never mind that Celtic's middle is already great, as AC Milan found out. Celtic loses a forward, and they bring in two more. Never mind that MacDonald is leading the SPL in scoring, and JVWofH is not far behind. Yes, of course, Celtic is a huge money team, and FCD is constrinaed by a salary cap. The point is, Celtic always has a plan. When one player leaves, the replacments are already there. FCD does no such thing. I think there will be another striker brought it, I doubt he will be as good as Ruiz. Maybe FCD does have a plan, and maybe the guy will be great. I use the term "maybe" twice. That is twcie to many. Trading Ruiz was a mistake. We are just waiting to see how big that mistake will turn out to be. Dead but dreaming, Scipio Diabolus, vox fatum. Contra. SGLF
The big problem, as far as I can see, is the steadfast reluctance of MLS teams to pay transfer fees for foreign players, despite the fact that they are more than happy to accept them for domestics going overseas. It really lowers the number of potential transfers.
I think the issue with the transfer fees is they get counted against the salary cap.. MLS probably needs to review this rule..
That's a new one to me. Are you sure? Hell, MLS rules are about as credible as Ghanian birth certificates and Elvis black belts, so who knows.
So..outside of Davino, Dallas is bringing in no one abroad? well i guess we can bring in someone who isnt under contract...hurray! i think this goes for mls on the whole, very, very disappointing transfer window. seems dc is the only team that put forth any effort.
Hmm start training camp on Monday and we lost our leading scorer and best defender and the only player we've brought in is Davino Right now this offseason is a C-
he's right. It's prorated over the length of their contract on the cap. allocation money can reduce it.
Well, that explains alot. Too bad that good players on free transfers are a bit rare. And, I have to admit that allocations are suddenly looking more and more attractive to me.
I just don't understand everyone's affection for Ruiz. Sure he has some talent, but he's also a lazy flopper and cheapshot artist who would skip out on games and practices, and seems to be past his prime. I've been following the team for 2 years, and usually I was annoyed that I had to root for that tool, his good times were too few and far between. They got good salary cap value for him, let's wait until the end of the transfer window before we go crazy over whether or not a replacement will be brought in. According to Buzz in a different thread: "loan can happen any time. (I think) a incoming player for a MLS team is till the MLS window closes... which is January 15 - April 15 (Primary Window) June 15 - August 15 (Secondary Window) Post window a free agent can be added any time as long as he was free during the previous window." They've got tons of time and tons of cap space, why is everyone freaking out now?
People are on edge because other teams are getting demonstrably better, and as of now we are worse....and we have no idea what "the plan" is to get better. We hear rumors of "great" players we might get on loan from CAP, or someone with "german experience", but right now its just a bag of air. And as for having lots of time, FC Dallas could absolutely bring someone in during the season, which: (1) raises issues as to whether new arrivals will be able to mesh with the rest of the team come playoffs (Denilson in mid season sure worked great); and (2) makes me fear for the quality of soccer in the early parts of the season (great way to bring in fans).
Championship quads are being put together, right now. It is not only Ruiz, it is the whole freakin' roster. We carry 3 huge money defensive mids. No haste to deal any of them. We have only one starting caliber forward. We have no outside left back. We have no flank playing right mid. We were a Cristian Gomez, or an Amado Guevara away from having a team that could have gone much further in the playoffs. We are now a minor injury away from being neighbors with Toronto FC in the standings. ---------- cover your eyes now Rex This is precisely how the Cycle of Suck went the last time. First we dumped one of the greatest forwards in MLS for a bag of beans. Next we were told to be patient. Then the roster was dismantled and not replaced with similar quality. Then the coach was allowed to twist in the wind for an eternity before the cycle closed. Point is, we've seen it before. If this were an AEG owned team, then yes you could have some belief that the cavalry is coming. But, the whole that we are digging is so big that you will have to outsource personnel just to take care of the volume of hires that we currently need. While we are hyperfocusing on the Ruiz replacement, this team has not done jack to improve in any other area.
Look at the roster. Right now, Alvarez, Cooper, Moor, Ricchetti, Davino, Serioux, and Toja are the only player who are bona-fide starting field players in MLS. We have three starting spots to fill. If we don't we will be in a lot of trouble.
I think we should break this stuff down, as it will ultimately be part of the official autopsy for the '08 Season and the Morrow/Hitch regime It is not so much that he is considered cuddly and cute, as much as he is a psychological Rambo that is very skillful at delivering goals in the big time games. Yes, he is nasty and dislikable. Exactly the kind of guy I want on the receiving end of a pass when Eddie Robinson is trying to intimidate a weak kneed striker. Ruiz has too much SOB in him to care. Let's break down four key terms: "lazy", "talent", "flopper", and "cheapshot artist". Yes. Ruiz is "lazy". But he is also "talented". In fact, where he not "lazy", he would be "talented" enough to be playing in bigger leagues. In other words, if he were the complete package, he would literally be absolutely way out of our League. Now let's get to the meat of the matter. Ruiz is known as the Fish, or the little floppper. Ruiz also has been known to put elbows and other body parts into opposing defenders. It is not enough to analyze only the actions of Ruiz in isolation. We need to consider context. Let's say he was a hockey player. We'd all be very accepting of his behavior. Let's look at the league that he plays in. We don't apply the same rules to MLS that FIFA uses throughout the world. MLS is one of the most violent leagues in the world. And, the main reason is that the referees wish it to be that way. They fail to apply the specified cards for clearly spelled out offenses. I think it is deeply rooted in our American Football culture that allows hacking as a means of preventing scoring. Just look at the violence that has affected our own little MLS franchise here in Dallas. Look what happens when MX teams play here and have to use MLS refs. Total chaos errupts as teams know that violence will be ignored. So what to do? You can fight fire with fire, or you can play cleanly and honestly and have Tyrone Marshal break your leg. And while you sit out for 3 months, he will sit our 3 or 4 games. But hey, at least you are a fan favorite. (Unless you suffer a career ending type of injury, like Pollard). Ruiz knows how badly officiated our league is, and has figured it out. Punch before getting punched, and dare aggressors with the potential of getting carded by an embellished foul if you retaliate. This drives refs nuts, because they know that HE has THEIR number. So, in MLS violence by a defender is ok. But, lord forbid a forward to dare do the same. Ruiz is a tactical genious. He clearly understands that the opponents are not only the eleven on the field. He is keenly aware that the team in yellow is also out to get the attackers. No one liked his escapades. They were disrespectful of the people in charge. But, a good coach could work with this. I doubt that Osorio would have any problem with Ruiz. Ultimately, I think that Morrow knew that he lacked the ability to motivate Ruiz. But, when you critically examine what they were asking Ruiz to do, you see how stupid those requests were, and you begin to see how hard it must be to find the motivation to do the requested role. Early in the season, I saw FCD playing w/ 3 up top. They would ask Ruiz to sprint and exchange positions continually with the right forward. At the beginning of the year, he did. And then later he quit making those runs. I would argue that you could take most of the world's target strikers, ask the same of them, and get the same result. We live in Texas, land of oppressive heat. Morrow comes from the British Isles, land of cold and wet. you cannot be a sprinter and a long distance runner. A striker is at best a short burst type of guy. Midfielders have the oxygen processing metabolism for endurance running. What they were asking of Ruiz was stupid. But, we saw him give it a good try at the beginning of the year. Contrast that to the times that the team actually crossed the ball. I remember Oduro's first and only cross. Goal. You know who. It made you wonder, why the hell don't we try that more often? I am not saying that Ruiz is irreplaceable. I am saying that we are unable in our current form to acquire an equal replacement. He was severely underutilized due to an inexperienced and unproven coach. In order to deflect blame, Ruiz is being blamed. And, being that he wears the villain's cape, he was an easy scapegoat. Let's look at Buzz's words: That is as plain and simple as you can get. The honesty and criteria were spoken without regard for politics. I think you can trust those words.
none of which means that he has to be replaced with a striker, or with someone who you consider to be of equal or greater value.
every indication I was getting all winter was that FCD was in pursuit of multiple options. If nothing happens I will be mystified and baffled.
Burse and Dario are both starting quality, too (might be a trade there). I would put Dax on your list right now, and Wallace, Wagner, Oduro, Thompson, and maybe one of the kids in this year's draft have the potential to step up as starters, if not this year then within the next two or three. I'm not saying that it will happen for all of them, but I'd bet that one or two will. It's probably one of the best young cores of players in MLS. I'm not saying that they shouldn't bring in another veteran presence for the offense, they absolutely should. They have plenty of time to do so. The early part of the season hardly matters in MLS. DC and Houston started out slowly last year, and won the Supporter's Shield and MLS Cup respectively.
I was talking field players, we are fine at keeper. The younger guys - Dax, Wagner, Oduro, Thompson - NONE of them have proven that they are able starters in MLS day in and day out. The draftees will not be ready for 2 years - if they start before that it is an indication of how weak the team is. If the younger guys are outright starters, that indicates a lack of quality. If we bring in talent and those younger guys win a starting position, that is one thing. But if you just count on those guys to be starters it is going to be a long season. Plenty of time to do so? The season is just around the corner, as is the end of the transfer window. Nobody should let the front office of the hook if no other players are picked up until midseason.