CHESTER, Pa. – What do you get when you combine a former MLS MVP, one of the league’s top goal-scorers from a year ago and a reigning Rookie of the Year finalist in the same attacking unit?
Well, for now you have a group that’s still very much a work in progress.
But in the future, the Union hope the starting threesome of Carlos Ruiz (the former MVP), Sebastien Le Toux (one of the league’s top goalscorers) and Danny Mwanga (the Rookie of the Year finalist) will strike fear into their opponents’ hearts.
“I think we’ll play better after a couple of games because we don’t know each other yet,” said Ruiz, who signed with Philly during the preseason. “I’m sure after a couple of games we’re going to understand the movements and we’re going to be better up top.”
Ruiz was the first of the team’s strikers to score this season, his 77th-minute tally holding up as the only goal in Philly’s 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
But Ruiz was also the first to admit much of that was due to Philly playing a man up for almost the entire second half. The international absence of ’Caps defender team Jay DeMerit helped the Union’s cause, too.
WATCH HIGHLIGHTS: PHI 1, VAN 0
[inline_node:332092]The ex-MLS star said he recognizes he has a long way to go to make sure the goals keep coming.
“I know this league,” the 32-year-old Guatemalan said. “I played seven years here. I’m trying to remember what I did before and I’m trying to show everybody why I’m here. I know people expect a lot out of the players Philadelphia signs. So I’m going to try to score goals and help my team.”
In the long run, the addition of Ruiz should benefit Mwanga and Le Toux, both of whom are coming off breakout seasons.
The individual abilities of each player will also allow manager Peter Nowak to be more creative with his formations. The Union began Saturday’s game in a 4-3-3 but Le Toux dropped behind Ruiz and Mwanga in stretches.
“We’ve all got our own style of play,” said Mwanga, who led all rookies with seven goals last season. “Sebastien is a guy who works hard, Carlos is a very good finisher and I have my ability as well, dribbling and running at defenders. I think if you combine all those things we definitely should be able to give our team a really good offense.”
Either way, Mwanga believes just being around players like Ruiz and Le Toux will help his own game infinitely.
“I learn so many things just playing with them,” the second-year striker said. “It’s a great thing for me, and I’m hoping to bond even more with them so we can be even more dangerous.”
