With his goal against Houston Dynamo last Saturday afternoon, FC Dallas striker Carlos Ruiz extended his goal-scoring streak to three games. This weekend, when the New England Revolution come to Pizza Hut Park, the two most prolific goal scorers in MLS over the past five years will be on the field together for the first time this year as Ruiz and his teammates face Taylor Twellman and the Revs.
Since 2002, Twellman has 67 goals while Ruiz has 64. Like Ruiz, Twellman has three goals this season. But even though Ruiz didn't get his first goal until the sixth game of the season this year, at Houston on May 6, he was making other contributions.
He assisted on the Hoops' first goal of the season, scored by Arturo Alvarez in the 31st minute in the season opener against Chicago. He then added another helper the following week against Real Salt Lake, feeding Kenny Cooper in the 43rd minute.
While many fans and media were concerned about Ruiz's lack of scoring in the early part of the season, Hoops head coach Colin Clarke wasn't.
"Everybody seemed to be worried about him at the start of the year but I don't know why. He's a goal scorer and it's just a matter of when, not if," Clarke said. "He was doing a lot of good stuff in the early part of the year, getting assists and being a big part of the team chemistry by helping the young kids. The goals weren't quite coming but we were winning games."
Clarke is pleased to see "El Pescadito" now finding the back of the net regularly.
"He's started to score goals," he said. "The goals he's scored are very good ones, very important. He's come in with a great attitude this year. It's nice to see him back and scoring again."
Ruiz also wasn't at all concerned about his scoring drought early in the season.
"People have talked a lot before I scored my first goal about the pressure on me because I wasn't scoring goals," he said. "I always thought the first thing for me is the team. If the team wins, it doesn't matter who scores the goal and it's good for everybody.
"Now that I have scored three goals in three games, I feel good," he said. "The first thing for me is the team but if I don't score a goal and they win, I'm happy."
Currently in his second season with FCD and fourth in the league, Ruiz has been an MLS All-Star each of the last four years and is likely to extend that streak this year. But like his coach, Ruiz has been pleased with the other contributions he has made this year to his team, ones not of the scoring variety.
"When I came to Dallas and talked to (general manager) Michael (Hitchcock) and Colin, they told me about how they wanted to win the championship," he said. "I don't play just for Carlos Ruiz. I play for my team.
"If I don't score in the first few games of the season but have assists, it's good for everybody. After the season is over and if we win the championship, everybody is happy. They won't remember how many goals Carlos Ruiz scored, they will remember this team winning the (MLS) championship."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to tha approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
