Monday Morning Centre Back: Get Out the Diving Board, Pescadito is Coming!

The Philadelphia Union are set to announce the signing of forward Carlos Ruiz. Houston fans will no doubt remember El Pescadito from his time with FC Dallas where we saw the Guatemalan striker flopping around on the ground in glorious excess. They will also remember when Ricardo Clark put his boot to Ruiz's ribs, a move that cost kept Clark out of the 2007 MLS Cup run.

While no Dynamo fan will say that a player should ever kick another player in the head, I think we can all agree that if it has to happen, Carlos Ruiz is an acceptable target. I kid, I kid...or do I?

The return of El Pescadito has been rumored since last season when he was linked with a couple teams leading up to the start of the season. Ruiz didn't arrive then but it appears he will finally come back to MLS in a return that will be met with far less enthusiasm that the Rock's return to the WWE.

It's not a personal thing, at least not for me, Carlos Ruiz isn't a bad guy, he's just the type of soccer player that rubs fans the wrong way because of he reliance on simulation. Sadly, diving is a part of the modern game and it's not going away. Until FIFA or leagues themselves crack down on divers, there really is no reason not to attempt to con a referee for an important free kick or penalty when the worst that will happen is a yellow card.

The real reason I bring this up is because the Dynamo's 2011 season opener see Ruiz (presumably) and the Union coming to Robertson Stadium. I can only image the signs and banners the various Dynamo supporters groups will create for Ruiz and hopefully he'll see some playing time and get a proper welcome back from Houston fans.

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The Dynamo drew 0-0 against the Portland Timbers over the weekend in what can best be described as a sandstorm. Between the wind and sand the offenses struggled to be able to generate any real attack as the two teams really just tried to survive the 90 minutes.

How bad was the sand storm? Brad Davis was sitting on the bench with saran wrap around his face to keep the sand out of his mouth, while Geoff Cameron was lying on the ground behind a trash can with a towel wrapped around his face. The photo above should also give you a good idea of what the team's were battling. It was anything but ideal conditions but dealing with bad weather is all part of the fun and was at the very least an interesting experience for the team.

You can enjoy a full match report over at HoustonDynamo.com and enjoy all the gritty details from the Dynamo's final pre-season match in Arizona.

The team is now off to Orlando where they will scrimmage the Seattle Sounders tomorrow and then play Toronto FC in the 2011 Disney Pro Soccer Classic. The four team tournament that also includes FC Dallas and Orlando City of USL Pro, will have two semifinals matches on Thursday, followed by a championship and consolation match on Saturday.