The journey to 100 MLS appearances for Pablo Ruiz has been anything but straight forward. Signing with Real Salt Lake in 2018 from Chilean side San Luis de Quillota, Ruiz arrived in Sandy, Utah as a depth piece to strengthen the midfield. His first 12 appearances for the first team were fairly ordinary, and he spent much of the remainder of 2018 and all of 2019 with the Club’s second team, Real Monarchs, and on loan with FC Pinzgau Saalfelden in Austria.
After a cold and trying year in Austria, Ruiz returned to Utah where he saw much more of the pitch, starting in 15 of a total 18 matches in the abbreviated 2020 season. The 2021 campaign proved to be a turning point for the Argentine-born midfielder, playing 700 minutes more than the previous season and recording four assists, in addition to starting all three of RSL’s playoff matches. 2022 was a continuation of his progress as Ruiz made 28 starts and improved his assist tally to five, while scoring two goals of his own.
Entering this season, Ruiz needed to play in 12 matches to hit the 100-appearance mark. Just a few seasons removed from his breakout year, the milestone seemingly snuck up on the midfielder in an unassuming way.
Although it has taken some time to reach this point, he is just now hitting his stride.
Ruiz has been a pleasant and much needed surprise for the RSL attack who lost its top goalscorer last offseason. He’s averaged a goal every three matches as the joint team-leading goalscorer, but it’s the way in which he’s scored those goals that has drawn the praise of people around the league.
All four of Ruiz’ goals this season have come from outside the 18-yard-box, second only to 2023 FIFA World Cup Winner Thiago Almada for most long-range goals in the league. His first goal came on April 8th in a 3-1 win over Charlotte FC, striking the ball with his left foot from 20 yards out and catching the underside of the bar to beat the ‘keeper.
The second goal of the season opened scoring in a 3-2 win over Rocky Mountain rivals Colorado Rapids, firing a low shot along the ground from even further out, taking a deflection on its way to the bottom right corner.
On May 31st in a 3-2 loss to LA Galaxy, Ruiz scored his third goal of the season via freekick, RSL’s first direct set-piece goal in five seasons.
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is a pattern. Each goal carried its own flavor and unique importance both in method and in impact on the particular match. So when Ruiz stepped onto the pitch in Washington D.C. on Saturday to make his 100th appearance, you could sense a fourth one coming.
What happened that night exceeded all expectations.
With an early man-advantage after a red card was shown to defender Steve Birnbaum, RSL pushed D.C. United’s defense for the first goal of the night. United’s goalkeeper Tyler Miller, who usually plays a high line, seemed particularly high up the field, filling in the space left behind by the departed Birnbaum on long balls. On multiple occasions Miller intercepted a threatening pass well outside the 18-yard-box, stifling RSL’s early opportunities.
Then in the 41st minute, lightning struck for a fourth time this season in the form of Pablo Ruiz.
Receiving a backwards pass from Andrew Brody in RSL’s own half, Ruiz glanced up to see where Miller was positioned. He had scouted the goalkeeper’s tendencies to come off the line prior to the match, and seemed to circle like a shark on the prowl waiting for an opportunity to exploit Miller. With his target acquired, Ruiz took two touches before launching a left-footed missile that very well could’ve scrambled a couple F-16s from the nearby Joint Base Andrews. The ball sailed over Miller’s head into the top right corner, stunning the Audi Field crowd.
Best of all, Ruiz’ strike was mere feet away from D.C. United manager and England National Team legend Wayne Rooney on the touchline, who scored a strikingly similar goal on the same pitch in 2020.
RSL held on for a 2-1 win, and immediately after the final whistle the United manager made a beeline for Ruiz. Not much was said, but the firm handshake from Rooney seemed to signal some sort of tip of the cap to the spectacular strike.
During his press conference, the Manchester United all-time leading goal scorer gave the most sincere and glowing remarks capable of the Scouser.
“It’s a great strike,” Rooney said. “Sometimes you have to appreciate good goals, and it’s an incredible strike by the lad. So there’s nothing really you can do on that.”
The 68-yard wonder hit will surely appear at the end of the season as a Goal of the Year contender, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary for Ruiz. Entering the prime of his career, the 24-year old looks poised to take on new levels. If he continues to add distance to his goal-scoring abilities as he’s shown this year, MLS may have to extend the end lines for his next 100 appearances.
