If the Revs win against the Metroscum, do you think Twellman will get the MVP award. I think he deserves it. Twellman has either scored or assisted on 58% of the revs goals. Ruiz is at 56%. Its close, but down the stretch, Twellman has been getting the goals that has lifted the revs pass chicago and into the #8 spot. Bradley said it best, if the revs make the playoffs, Twellman will get MVP.
It'll be between those two. I think I'd have to give it to Ruiz because he has had so many dramatic game winners and has essentially been the only consistent offensive threat of any kind for the team that leads the league. Twellman's performance has been nothing short of amazing, but at least he has Ralston consistently providing good service. Tough call, but barring a significant change in the last week or in the playoffs (depending upon when the MVP vote is taken, because I dunno offhand), I'd give it to Ruiz in a close vote. Really, there is no #3. Those two are in a class by themselves. -Tron
if the revs make the playoffs, twellman deserves it the players on the revs have not played at the same level as the players on the galaxy, this year the galaxy are much deeper then the revs, ruiz has a good number of players that can feed him or even score themselves the revs have to rely on twellman and ralston... and this next game will be only twellman, as ralston is out on caution points
Leading your team into the playoffs sounds impressive, until you translate it into "leading your team out of ninth place." Ruiz is MVP.
If the Revs end up 2nd seed, I'd imagine Twellman would be the odds on favorite. If NE fails to make the playoffs, Ruiz will win. Otherwise, I'd say it'll be a tossup.
Ding, ding, dind -- we have a winner! I suppose there could justifiably be co-MVPs this year, but that's a cop-out. As much as I hate Ruiz for his shenanigans in Mazatenengo, I think he deserves it. Homeboy is clutch.
If New England beats Metro, Chicago beats Columbus, and San Jose beats Los Angles, New England will finish #2 and LA #3. What then? Plus, you gotta factor in who's voting. I think Twellman might have a slightly better image because he's a proverbial young American superstar. And Ruiz' behavior in WCQs makes him a villan in many eyes.
There is no argument here, Taylor is more of a team player and is far more valuable to the revs than Ruiz is to the Galaxy. END OF DISCUSSION TnT TnT TnT
without Twellman, revs would have few goals, and no hope of making it. Without Ruiz, Galaxy would still be a contending team, but wouldnt be contending for the top spot in the league, more like 6th. Ruiz can score one goal and the Galaxy win. Twellman has to score a few because the defense is not as strong as the Galaxy. Down the stretch, Twellman has been more valuable then Ruiz, and because of that, if the revs beat the mutts, Twellman will get MVP.
The Galaxy would still be a solid team without Ruiz, maybe not #1 in the league, but solid. New England would be nowhere without Twellman, probably still in the teens for points this year with no hope for the playoffs. Give it to Twellman. The whole theoretical #2, #3 argument mentioned above. <i>If New England beats Metro, Chicago beats Columbus, and San Jose beats Los Angles, New England will finish #2 and LA #3. </i> Give me a break. On points alone, the West has the top 4 teams, LA, San Jose, Colorado and Dallas. The Eastern Conference gets tossed a bone with that #2 seed, but they don't deserve it.
Close call, but IMO Ruiz should get the MVP. So much was expected of this New England team and they've struggled. L.A. may win the SS. Ruiz has been spectacular and should get the MVP.
I think Twellman should get it but DC United made media vote only for DC United players...so I voted for Talon the eagle.
I do remember before the season that most people were saying the Galaxy were going to take it all. Them or the Quakes... SA's editor's picks said the same, with only one of like the six picking NE to make the cup, nobody picked them to win. 2 or three of the SA writers picked the Galaxy. So so much was expected from this Galaxy team as well. Also, nothing was expected of TnT, but he has made it here only because of him, and a little Ralston. Ruiz has support from like 7 Cienfuegos and other great middies. NE has Leo Cullen and Daniel Hernandez in midfield. TnT has done more for himself than Ruiz(the ultimate goal-poacher).
Doesn't Ruiz have a higher percentage of TEAM goals than TT? I could be wrong but I think that's true. If so, that could be one deciding factor. Basically, if neither team wins the SS, they should be co-MVPs. There's really not alot to choose from either way.
In my mind, it's pretty simple: Code: GAME-WINNING GOAL LEADERS NAME TEAM(S) GAMES GWG ---------------------------------------------------- [b]1 Carlos Ruiz LA 25 8[/b] 2 Ariel Graziani SJ 27 6 3 Chris Carrieri COL 24 5 Jason Kreis DAL 26 5 5 Mamadou Diallo MET* 23 4 [b] Taylor Twellman NE 27 4[/b] Beyond this simple statistic, however, you can say that more of Ruiz's goals have meant something. In the beginning of the season, he was the only one scoring for LA and the Galaxy were winning. Last week, the Galaxy were down 1-0 to Chicago. Ruiz scored the tying goal and winning goals. Saturday night, he scored the winning goal in stoppage time for the Galaxy. (OK, Quakes fans, I don't want to hear how he was offside.) And he's had other goals this season that have literally changed matches for the Galaxy. Honestly, when it comes to make-or-break time, Ruiz has been The Man for LA. And don't give me any "LA would be good without him." Have you seen who their second-leading scorer is? If it weren't for him, the Galaxy is no better than fourth-place in the Western Conference right now. If it weren't for him, you can take a minimum of five of their wins and turn them into losses. Ruiz is the MVP hands-down. He's a diving punk, but there's no denying that he's lifted the Galaxy on his shoulders and carried them all season.
And really, giving Twellman credit for the Revs' recent turnaround is a bit dumb, if you ask me. He's scored prolifically all season long. The only problem was that the Revs' defense was ridiculously bad all season. Recently, however, they've tightened things up in the back, given up a lot fewer goals, and their fortunes have turned completely. In other words, Steve Nicol and the Revs defense deserves credit for their turnaround, not Taylor Twellman.
You are not allowed to rewrite history. Everyone but a very few, including me, were getting shelled at the start of the year for saying NE would choke. NE was gifted the best from Tampa and Miami and still couldn't put a decent team together. Chacon, Serna, Diallo, Ralston, etc. we supposed to light up the league as noone had done before. Yet they failed. That said, if NE makes it to the playoffs, which seems likely, but not gauranteed, I, am LA Galaxy fan, may throw my vote to Twellman. Ruiz is a great fighter, but he has a good defence behind him to back him up. Twellman is surrounded by incompetence (other than my boy Ralston). NE bears the curse of the Krafts for dicking San Jose over for so many years and will never win anything. So sayeth me.
funny how you mention that.... Like your input (and anyone here on this Board and in all BS) really matters who gets voted MVP... ...unless you're a sportswriter or something (and I doubt that you are)..
Why is all the talk centered around Twellman or Ruiz? Without Jon Busch Columbus are 3-3-9. With him they have gone 8-2-2. Would Columbus have the best record in MLS if he had been the starting 'keeper the entire season? Remember, Columbus could still win the East and if Twellman is the hands down winner if New England does, why shouldn't Busch be? Daouda Kante has been the reason New England has been able to put together a final push towards the playoffs. Without him - and Twellman still scoring - New England are still #10 in the league. Without Cobi Jones - and Ruiz scoring at the same pace as he is now - Los Angeles were a mid-table side. Now they are the best team in the league. Chris Carrieri has helped Colorado become a much better side, though Henderson, Chung, and Valderrama are all having great years. Dallas is fading (lack of production from Kreis lately?), but Deering and Bonseu have been big so far this season. Their record is better than New England's. Without Bonseu, Dallas has no defense and a worse record than they have now. With all that said - I don't know who I would vote for. I do know the forwards shouldn't be the only ones receiving consideration. Yes, scoring goals is key and important, but so is not letting them in. Remember soccer is a team game. It's not tennis.
glad somebody finally mentioned Cobi Jones...check LA's record while he was in the WC... from a pressure standpoin alone, though, i've got to go with Ruiz. he was greeted in LA with pure skepticism and hostility and did what? STICK GOL AFTER GOL FROM DAY ONE! hat's off to the cocky little b*****d!