Ruiz Watch Rises to 16 in Galaxy Win
Alexi Lalas, get ready to hand Carlos Ruiz the watch you owe him. Make that two.
And get him a better undershirt.
Ruiz, 22, scored two goals for the Galaxy and possibly earned two watches in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew in front of 14,177 at the Rose Bowl on Saturday night.
Lalas promised Ruiz a watch before the season if the rookie scored 15 goals.
He scored Nos. 15 and 16 against the Crew. The last one made sure that Lalas will deliver a Rolex-style watch to Ruiz at the end of the season.
Ruiz scored the game-winner off a volley in the 75th minute to extend the Galaxy’s unbeaten streak to four (3-0-1).
After Ruiz scored his second goal, which gave him the MLS lead ahead of New England’s Taylor Twellman, he slipped out of his Galaxy jersey and showcased a sleeveless T-shirt.
The front read in Spanish “Te amo Guate” (I love you Guatemala) and the back “Gracias Guatemala por tu apoyo” (Thank you Guatemala for your support).
“I think he’s deserving of a Rolex now,” Lalas said after Ruiz recorded his fifth multi-goal game. “But I also think he needs a nicer shirt to wear underneath.
“You have to have style when you score world-class shots like that. The last goal deserves a possible second watch.”
Forward Alejandro Moreno, making his third start, set up the game-winner for the Galaxy (9-7-3) on a crisp pass just outside the penalty box. He found a wide-open Ruiz deep inside the box and the striker didn’t let the ball hit the grass.
Ruiz’s right foot sent the ball into the upper left corner of the net, leaving Columbus goalkeeper Jon Busch no chance for a save. The victory kept the Galaxy in third place in the Western Conference with 30 points.
“I didn’t understand how wide open I was there,” Ruiz said. “I don’t think they knew what I could do on the field because there were only a few times that someone was near me.”
And when they were nearby, they couldn’t stop Ruiz. Midfielder Cobi Jones found two Crew (7-9-4) defenders gambling early in the first half. Jones delivered a through ball from the left to a streaking Ruiz as he split Mike Clark and Brian Dunseth inside the penalty box.
It appeared the Crew was trying for an offside trap because the defenders moved forward when Ruiz touched the ball.
The plan didn’t work.
Ruiz gained control as soon as the defenders hesitated. He dribbled once and tapped a right-footed shot from 12 yards away past Busch to give the Galaxy a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
“He should be considered for MVP,” Columbus Coach Greg Andrulis said of Ruiz, who will be an All-Star game starter Saturday at RFK Stadium in Washington.
“He’s unbelievable and he plays with much passion. He deserves whatever he gets.”
