Ecuadorian national team scoring sensation Ariel Graziani is the newest international addition to Major League Soccer, the league announced July 22. Graziani, a 28-year-old forward, is expected to be assigned to an MLS club early next week. Born in Argentina and a naturalized citizen of Ecuador, Graziani recently scored the lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Colombia on July 7 at the Copa America tournament in Paraguay, where he started in each of his nation’s three games. Graziani has 12 goals in 21 appearances for Ecuador, including two goals in three games at the 1999 Canada Cup. Graziani comes to MLS after spending the 1998-99 season with Morelia of the Mexican first division, where he scored 14 goals to lead his club. His eight goals were the seventh-highest goal total in the league during the recent Torneo Verano. His six goals in Torneo Invierno ’98 were the eighth-highest goal total in Mexico. Prior to playing for Morelia, the 6-feet, 165-pound forward played for Veracruz, where he had six of the Red Sharks’ 20 goals in Torneo Verano ’98, the sixth-highest goal total in Mexico. He spent the 1997 season with Emelec of the Ecuadorian first division, where he led the league in scoring with 24 goals in 32 games. In 1996, he led the league in scoring with 28 goals in 37 games while playing for Emelec. “He’s a pure goal scorer, plain and simple,” said Kansas City Wizards defender Alexi Lalas, who played with Graziani at Emelec in 1997 (Lalas and Joe-Max Moore played for Emelec on loan from New England). “He has a knack for scoring goals. He uses his speed and is a guy who will be able to withstand the physical punishment of MLS. He’ll be a great addition to the league and whichever team he ends up with.” Born June 7, 1971, in Buenos Aires, Graziani made his professional debut in 1993 with Newell’s Old Boys of Argentina, where he was a teammate with the legendary Diego Maradona. He transferred to Sport Boys of the Peruvian first division in September, 1993, where he played until joining Aucas of Ecuador’s first division in 1995. Major League Soccer’s Competition Committee is expected to announce the assignment of Graziani to an MLS club early next week. Graziani is scheduled to make his MLS debut in mid-August.