Carlos Ruiz (Guatemalan footballer)

"Carlos Ruiz (footballer)" redirects here. For the Argentine footballer, see Carlos Ruiz (Argentine footballer).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Gutiérrez.
Carlos Ruiz

Ruiz playing for FC Dallas in 2007
Personal information
Full name Carlos Humberto Ruíz Gutiérrez
Date of birth (1979-09-15) 15 September 1979
Place of birth Guatemala City, Guatemala
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Municipal
Number 20
Youth career
1991–1995 Municipal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1995–2002 Municipal 143 (69)
2002–2004 Los Angeles Galaxy 72 (50)
2005–2007 FC Dallas 74 (36)
2008 Los Angeles Galaxy 10 (1)
2008 Toronto FC 5 (0)
2009 Olimpia 18 (10)
2009–2010 Puebla 33 (9)
2010–2011 Aris 16 (1)
2011 Philadelphia Union 14 (6)
2011–2012 Veracruz 23 (10)
2013 D.C. United 13 (0)
2014– Municipal 70 (40)
National team‡
1998– Guatemala 126 (60)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 March 2015.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 March 2016

Carlos Humberto Ruiz Gutiérrez (born 15 September 1979 in Guatemala), initially nicknamed El Pescadito ("The Little Fish") but gradually known as just Pescado or "Fish" (even by Spanish-speakers), is a Guatemalan footballer who plays for Municipal of Guatemala.

A product of CSD Municipal's "cantera" (youth academy), Ruiz has also played for five Major League Soccer clubs (Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, Philadelphia Union, and D.C. United), scoring 87 goals in 168 MLS regular season matches and 16 goals in the post-season, which is the record for the most post-season goals in MLS history. In 2002, he was named the MLS' Most Valuable Player of the season.

Ruiz was also a member of the Guatemalan national team beginning in 1998, later becoming its captain and all-time top scorer, and being part of four World Cup qualification processes. As of 2014, he is apart of Guatemala.

Club career

Early career (1995-2002)

Ruiz, born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, started his footballing career in local club San Carlos. At the age of 12, he joined the youth divisions of CSD Municipal and at 16 he made his professional debut.[1] He became a starter for Municipal and a young star in the Guatemalan league until 2000, when he traveled to Europe to play for a short time alongside compatriot Guillermo Ramírez at Greek club PAS Giannina. After a stint with PAS he returned to Municipal, and then in January 2002 he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He was initially skeptical, telling The New York Times, "I didn't know anything about MLS or soccer in the U.S. Everything we hear about Major League Soccer is not so good... We hear that all the players come here to finish their careers." However, he found the level to be better than he imagined, saying: "In the beginning, I was not happy to come here. But after a couple of games and when I see the level of soccer here, I was excited to play here."[2] Once in MLS, Ruiz shone immediately.

Major League Soccer (2002-2009)

Ruiz playing for Los Angeles Galaxy.

In his debut season in 2002, Ruiz scored 24 goals (MLS Golden Boot), leading the Galaxy to the MLS Cup by scoring the only Golden goal in MLS Cup history. He was named the MLS Most Valuable Player that year. In the playoffs, he scored eight goals and added two assists, totaling 18 points and setting an MLS record for goals and points in a single postseason. In his second season, Ruiz cooled off significantly, but the forward still finished the season tied with Taylor Twellman for the league lead in goals with 15. He continued to statistically drop in 2004, scoring 11 goals. Ruiz had trials at English side Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 2003–04 season.

In 2005, when Landon Donovan expressed his desire to come back to MLS, the Galaxy traded Ruiz to FC Dallas for the #1 allocation in the MLS pecking order, so that they could acquire Donovan. Ruiz finished his year in Dallas with 11 goals and two assists. During the postseason, Ruiz scored two goals in the second leg match against the Colorado Rapids but FC Dallas were eliminated on penalty kicks.

In February 2006, the MLS fully bought Ruiz's contract rights from his former Club Municipal and FC Dallas were able to negotiate a multi-year deal. In March 2006, a bicycle kick goal he scored against D.C. United was selected as the "Goal of the Decade" in MLS through online voting.[3]

During a 2007 game against the Houston Dynamo, Ruiz was involved in a controversial incident with Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark. Following a corner kick in which the two players became entangled, Clark violently kicked Ruiz in the upper body as he lay on the pitch hoping to draw a foul.[4] Ruiz then hit Clark's back with his knee during the subsequent play, and both players were sent off, with Clark also receiving the longest suspension in league history.

Following the conclusion of the 2007 season, Ruiz appeared to be unwilling to return to Dallas and to be holding out for a move back to the Galaxy. Earlier attempts to produce a trade faltered due to Ruiz being a grandfathered Designated player, with the Galaxy already having other players in the same situation (Landon Donovan and David Beckham). In January 2008, FC Dallas traded Ruiz to the Galaxy for an undisclosed cash allocation and the Galaxy's natural second-round pick in next year's MLS SuperDraft. At his departure, he said, "I did everything I could to win a championship with Dallas. Unfortunately, it did not happen."[5]

He spoke about Galaxy to ESPN analyst Andrea Canales: "I still think the Galaxy is the best team in the U.S. They're the best organization. The Galaxy have always had famous players. They continue to be a team that people always follow," and added his personal relief to be on the Galaxy team, "I’m so glad I came to the Galaxy and not another team, because I would have felt like I was starting over."[6] In the season opener, however, Ruiz suffered a knee injury and was unable to play for over a month.[7] While Ruiz was injured, the Galaxy found unexpected striking potential in Edson Buddle and even after coming off of injury, Ruiz was notably still left off the travel roster for a high-profile game against D.C. United. He scored his first of the 2008 season on 19 July, in a game against New York Red Bulls.

Ruiz was traded on 19 August 2008 to Toronto FC who in-turn released Laurent Robert to make room for Ruiz. He was expected to help solve TFC's goal scoring woes as he has 82 goals to his MLS credit, but managed only five first team games, in which he scored no goals.[8] He was released by Toronto in early 2009 after they signed Dwayne De Rosario.

Olimpia (2009)

On 31 January 2009, Ruiz signed a contract with Paraguayan club Olimpia Asunción under the request of then-coach Ever Hugo Almeida. He scored 10 goals and was a fan favourite. One of his most memorable goals was against Cerro Porteño in the derby which Olimpia won 2–0. He also scored a hat trick against Rubio Ñu in a 5–3 victory for Olimpia.

Puebla (2009-2010)

Ruiz signed with Puebla on 30 June 2009 under head coach José Luis Sánchez Solá. On 25 July 2009, in a game against Tigres, he scored his first goal for Puebla on a penalty kick. He wore number 20, which is the same number he previously wore for L.A. Galaxy, F.C. Dallas, and the Guatemala national team.

Aris FC (2010)

Ruiz agreed to join Aris FC on 12 July 2010. He made his debut in Europe on 18 August 2010 in the playoff round of the Europa League against Austria Wien, becoming the first Guatemalan footballer ever to appear in a UEFA competition match. The first leg was played in Thessaloniki with Ruiz netting on his debut to give Aris a 1–0 victory. In the second leg, played in Vienna, Ruiz scored again in a 1–1 draw, giving Aris a 2–1 aggregate victory and sending them through to the group stage, where he scored one more goal against Rosenborg.

Philadelphia Union (2011)

After trialling with the club during the 2011 MLS pre-season, Ruiz signed with Philadelphia Union on 22 February 2011.[9] On 26 March he scored Philadelphia's winning goal in the home opener of the 2011 MLS season against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Ruiz also scored the "MLS Goal of the Week" in Week 10 of the season with a game-winning 35 yard strike against the Chicago Fire.[10]

Veracruz (2011)

On 3 August 2011, Ruíz was transferred to Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz.[11] He scored first goal vs Correcaminos during the 4th week of the 2011 Apertura tournament,[12] and finished the year with six goals in five matches. Ruiz remained a part of the club until 2013, though he was inactive for nearly a year.[13]

D.C. United (2013)

On 31 January 2013, Municipal announced that Ruiz would be rejoining the club.[14] However, this move was cancelled after Veracruz refused to terminate Ruiz' contract.[15] On 20 February 2013, D.C. United announced that the club had signed Ruiz via the MLS allocation process to a one-year deal.[16] On 30 October 2013 D.C. United announced they declined the contract option on Ruiz.[17]

Return to Guatemala (2014)

On 8 February 2014, Municipal announced that Ruiz would be rejoining the club. He signed an 18-month contract that currently makes him the highest paid footballer ever in Central America.

International career

Overall, Ruiz has earned 126 caps and scored 60 goals for his country and has played at the World Cup qualification campaigns for the FIFA World Cups of 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018. He played his first international match on 11 November 1998, a friendly against Mexico, and scored his first goal against El Salvador at the 1999 UNCAF Nations Cup. In 2000, as the Guatemala national futsal team had begun its development, Ruiz was selected, along with other 11-a-side football players, as part of the squad that competed at the 2000 Futsal World Championship, hosted by Guatemala. He scored one goal in the tournament.

After scoring eight goals in nine matches during the 2002 World Cup qualification campaign and already having a successful career in the MLS, Ruiz was the focal point of the Guatemalan team in qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, leading the team in scoring as they reached the final stage of the CONCACAF region.

On 14 June 2008 Ruiz broke Juan Carlos Plata's all-time individual goalscoring record for Guatemala by scoring four goals against Saint Lucia in Guatemala's 2010 World Cup qualification opening match. Ruiz reached 39 overall goals, four more than Plata's total. Ruiz also became the first Guatemalan player to score four goals in a World Cup qualification match. On 10 September 2008, Ruiz scored two goals against Cuba in Guatemala's 2010 World Cup qualification in the 3rd match of the 3rd round of qualification of the CONCACAF region. Those two goals extended his all-time individual scoring record for Guatemala to 41 overall goals, six more than Plata's total.[18]

On 9 February 2009, he announced his retirement from international football.[19] However, on 4 January 2011, Carlos Ruiz stated full re-activity in international football, making the UNCAF 2011 championship to be held in Panama his first international tournament in two years.[20] He then participated in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup,[21] scoring one goal against Grenada in the first round and another one against Mexico in the quarterfinals in a 2-1 defeat.

On 16 October 2012, Ruiz announced his retirement from international competition after a 3-1 loss to the United States at the Livestrong Sporting Park during the 2014 World Cup qualification; however, he would return to play for Guatemala and became the second Guatemalan player to appear in five World Cup qualification processes (Juan Manuel Funes being the first), when he started in the second round of the 2018 World Cup qualification in their opening match against Bermuda. In World Cup qualification, he has a total of 30 goals in 37 qualifying games, making him the 2nd highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup qualification behind Iran's Ali Daei. He also has the record for most goals scored in FIFA World Cup qualification from the CONCACAF region and most goals scored in FIFA World Cup qualification without ever playing in a single FIFA World Cup tournament.

International goals

Source:[22]

Career statistics (2002- )

Club Season League Domestic Cup International Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
LA Galaxy 2002 262468——3232
2003 261522——2817
2004 201131——2312
Total 72501111——8361
Dallas 2005 191122——2113
2006 271322——2915
2007 22721——248
Total 683165——7436
LA Galaxy 2008 101————101
Total 101————101
Toronto 2008 5—————5—
Total 5—————5—
Olimpia 2009 1810————1810
Total 1810————1810
Puebla 2009–10 33942——3711
Total 33942——3711
Aris 2010–11 1611—83254
Total 1611—83254
Philadelphia Union 2011 146————146
Total 146————145
Veracruz 2011–12 2310————2310
Total 2310————2310
D.C. United 2013 13—1———14—
Total 13—1———13—
Municipal 2013–14 138————139
2014–15 4425——334425
2015–16 116——31147
Total 7040——647644
Career total 3421582318147393183

Honors

Municipal

Los Angeles Galaxy

Individual

Other MLS Achievements

Ruiz is currently the 10th all-time leading goal scorer in MLS history.[23] He is also the All-Time Leading Goal Scorer in MLS Playoff history with 16 goals in 17 games. He was also a nominee for the 2011 MLS All-Star Game.[24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Carlos "el pescado" Ruiz.". deguate.com.
  2. ↑ Marcus, Maria (28 March 2008). "Little Fish in an Increasingly Competitive Pond". The New York Times Goal Blog. Retrieved 12 May 2008.
  3. ↑ "Player bio". mlsnet.com, Major League Soccer. Retrieved 24 November 2006.
  4. ↑ Ricardo Clark kicks Carlos Ruiz. YouTube. 1 October 2007.
  5. ↑ Aparicio, Diego (15 January 2008). "FC Dallas trades Carlos Ruiz to LA Galaxy". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 11 May 2008.
  6. ↑ Canales, Andrea (13 March 2008). "The Return of Ruiz". soccer365.com. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  7. ↑ "Carlos Ruiz undergoes knee surgery". PA Wire Services. 1 April 2008. Archived from the original on 6 April 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  8. ↑ "Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & More". Goal.com.
  9. ↑ "Union Sign Forward Carlos Ruiz". Philadelphia Union.
  10. ↑ "Ruiz's wonder goal easily wins AT&T Goal of the Week". Philadelphia Union.
  11. ↑ "Report: Ruiz signs multi-year deal with Mexico's Veracruz". MLSsoccer.com.
  12. ↑ "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh53M095nO4". External link in |title= (help)
  13. ↑ "Estadísticas Veracruz - ESPN Deportes". go.com.
  14. ↑ futbol.univision.com/centroamerica/guatemala/article/2013-02-01/el-internacional-carlos-el-pescado
  15. ↑ "El internacional Carlos 'Pescadito' Ruiz ya no jugará con el Municipal de Guatemala". univision.com.
  16. ↑ Ben Bromley. "D.C. United signs Carlos Ruiz through the allocation process". Black And Red United.
  17. ↑ "DC United decline contract options for Carlos Ruiz, Lionard Pajoy and Marcelo Saragosa". mlssoccer.com. 30 October 2013.
  18. ↑ Source: http://prensalibre.com/pl/2008/junio/15/244639.html
  19. ↑ http://www.lared.com.gt/detalle_noticia.php?id=17923
  20. ↑ "Prensa Libre – Periódico líder de Guatemala". Prensa Libre.
  21. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/news?slug=ycn-8528753
  22. ↑ "Carlos Ruiz international goals". rsssf.com. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  23. ↑ http://www.mlssoccer.com/stats/alltime
  24. ↑ "News". Philadelphia Union.

External links

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