Injury report
Clint Dempsey Back to Full Bore, Schuler Held Out
The United States men's national team captain returns from injury and scores a goal in his first cap back; the Real Salt Lake defender misses time due to a difficult decision by head coach Jeff Cassar.
BY
Nick Kariuki
Posted
June 05, 2014
5:59 PM
Clint Dempsey was back on the field for the national team’s 2-1 win against Turkey on Saturday. The U.S. captain was rested for the previous warmup against Azerbaijan because of groin tightness. Dempsey played for the full 90 minutes, scoring the U.S.’s second and winning goal.
Chicago Fire forward Mike Magee did not make the squad for last night’s 0-0 draw at the Colorado Rapids because of his calf injury. Magee has now missed the Fire’s last three games.
Columbus Crew midfielder Wil Trapp picked up a knee tweak in Thursday’s training session and subsequently missed the Crew’s 3-2 loss to Toronto on Saturday. Trapp has since participated in training but played no part in last night’s 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake. Columbus next faces FC Dallas this Saturday.
New York Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Revolution due to a knee injury. McCarty picked up the injury in last week’s 1-1 draw against Sporting KC and managed managed to play out the game. On Tuesday Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke told reporters that McCarty "Had an MRI on his knee and the situation looks like a couple of weeks." McCarty himself also provided an update on Twitter:
Austin Berry did not make the squad for the Philadelphia Union’s 3-0 win over Chivas USA on Saturday as his niggling left ankle sprain remains a problem. The Union next host the Vancouver Whitecaps this Saturday.
D.C. United’s Chris Pontius remains out from his second left hamstring surgery back in late-April. The procedure was to remove painful scar tissue from the midfielder’s first operation in the off-season. According to a D.C. United representative, Pontius is working daily towards getting back to full fitness and is progressing.
The Houston Dynamo’s 3-0 loss to Colorado on Sunday was midfielder Ricardo Clark’s eighth game out due to concussion. Clark remains out for Friday’s game against Sporting KC and the club has told ASN that his recovery is “open” with no return date set.
Finally, Chris Schuler wasn’t risked for RSL’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the Seattle Sounders because of how the turf field could have affected his past foot and knee issues. RSL head coach Jeff Cassar spoke with the Salt Lake Tribune about his choice to leave out the defender after the game: "It’s an extremely tough decision. I don’t enjoy holding [players] out, but sometimes you’ve got to take it out of the players’ hands. That’s on me. I have to sometimes do what’s best for what we think for the player and not just the team." Schuler returned to the starting XI last night, playing the full 90 minutes against Columbus.
Nick Kariuki writes both the ASN Injury Report and the MLS Roundup every week. Follow him on Twitter.
