Los Angeles Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz has been selected as Major League Soccer's Honda Player of the Month for the month of April by the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA). The MLS goal-scoring leader for two years running, "El Pescadito" tallied five goals and added one assist in the Galaxy's four April contests, helping the team to a 2-0-2 record and leading the League in goal scoring and points (11).
Ruiz opened the campaign by scoring the Galaxy's first goal of the season in a 3-2 win over New England on April 3, marking the third consecutive season that he has scored the Galaxy's first goal, the first time the same player has scored the first goal of three consecutive seasons for an MLS team. The 24-year old forward concluded the month riding a four-game goal scoring streak which included his 11th career two-goal performance in a 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew on April 24 at The Home Depot Center. After scoring on a penalty kick earlier in that game, Ruiz scored a spectacular late-game volley that won him the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week and in turn helped him claim Honda MLS Player of the Week honors.
With the fourth MLS Player of the Month award of his career, the Guatemalan international surpasses forwards Clint Mathis (MetroStars, Galaxy) and Diego Serna (Miami Fusion, Galaxy) for the most honors in League history. Ruiz, who has scored 44 goals in 57 career regular season games, has won four of the last 13 Player of the Month awards.
The third-year star was selected ahead of a pair of goalkeepers -- the Dallas Burn's Scott Garlick and Chicago Fire's Henry Ring, as well as Colorado Rapids forward Jean Philippe Peguero in the first month's voting. The monthly winners are selected by a panel of journalists from the Professional Soccer Reporters Association (PSRA).
