Galaxy Rolls Without Ruiz

The Galaxy was exciting on Saturday night.

It played arguably its most complete match of the season.

And it ended its seven-match winless streak with a 2-1 defeat of the San Jose Earthquakes, electrifying a sellout crowd of 27,000 and giving Kevin Hartman the distinction of becoming Major League Soccer’s winningest goalkeeper, with 93 victories.

But in a season in which the coach can be fired even when his club sits in first place, the big news emanating out of the Home Depot Center had little to do with the Galaxy’s victory over the Earthquakes in what could possibly be the last regular-season matchup of California rivals.

The focus, instead, was on the missing Carlos Ruiz, who is purportedly being held in Guatemala by the nation’s soccer federation after the country’s World Cup qualifying match on Wednesday.

According to both Galaxy President and General Manager Doug Hamilton and Coach Steve Sampson, who took over for the fired Sigi Schmid on Aug. 18, Ruiz was supposed to be back with the club within 24 hours of Guatemala’s match.

Instead, a flurry of faxes and broken promises, they said, had the Galaxy believing Ruiz would be in Carson by kickoff.

In fact, Sampson, who said he had exchanged voice mails with the forward, did not know that Ruiz would not be available until noon Saturday.

“It’s a complete lack of respect on the part of the Guatemalan federation,” said Sampson, who is 1-1-1 with the Galaxy. “If we find they truly took advantage ... we will take this to U.S. Soccer and FIFA.”

Hamilton said Ruiz was injured -- “He took a bump and [Guatemala said] it was a contusion and a slight [leg] strain,” Hamilton said -- and that Guatemala’s doctors needed to examine Ruiz before releasing him.

“It’s a lot to ask a player to go against his own federation,” Hamilton said, when asked why Ruiz simply did not get on a plane.

Said Sampson: “We feel our doctors are just as good as theirs.”

While Ruiz is expected back by tonight, the club’s leading goal scorer was not needed on a muggy evening in which the Galaxy won its first match since July 10 and improved to 10-7-8, pulling into a second-place tie with Kansas City behind Colorado.

The Earthquakes, who are for sale and rumored to be moving to either San Antonio or Houston, fell to 9-9-7.

The Galaxy, which was also without forward Jovan Kirovski because of right knee tendinitis, scored the first two goals.

Sasha Victorine made it 1-0 in the 36th minute after Andreas Herzog sent a cross to the box from the right flank and Alejandro Moreno, on the left side of the box, headed the ball toward the goal. The ball ricocheted off the crossbar and landed at the feet of Victorine, who converted from four yards before Earthquake goalkeeper Pat Onstad could react. It was Victorine’s third goal of the season.

Second-year forward Arturo Torres, who replaced Cobi Jones in the 72nd minute, paid dividends three minutes later, scoring on a breakaway thanks to a perfectly-timed pass from Peter Vagenas. Torres blew by Jeff Agoos on the right flank and easily beat Onstad before leaping into the stands to celebrate his first MLS goal.

Earthquake midfielder Ronnie Ekelund’s shot from 18 yards in the 77th minute bounded off the bottom of the crossbar but just crossed the goal line.