DC Soccer Opinions: Just In Time?

- By Joseph Schoenbauer

It’s a known fact that in a World Cup year when a player goes down injured the gasps and cries from the on looking public are sizably louder than in a non-World Cup year.  It’s also a known fact that players and managers alike have complained of crowded fixture schedules and endless seasons that run into each other.  In this year’s World Cup, it is an inevitability that it will become a big talking point, especially if any of the “big” teams fail to perform.  Now, we take a look at players headed to the World Cup, so that we can monitor their performances in hopes that we can determine if they benefit from long term layoffs in the club season when the World Cup is around the corner.  The three factors to look at are the duration of time the player was forced to spend on the sidelines, the extent or seriousness of the injury, and the timing of their return to action.

Case #1

Francesco Totti – Italy

Duration on sidelines: 2 months

Injury prognosis: ankle ligament damage, surgery required

Return to action: 1 month before World Cup

Totti is arguably the greatest attacking player in the Italian team and the head coach of Italy, Marcelo Lippi, is counting on a big performance this time around.  Despite missing essentially the last three months of the Serie A season, he was still one of the leading scorers in the league with 14 goals, including the Goal of the Year when he picked up the ball near half way before passing several defenders and deftly lobbing Julio Cesar of Inter from 20 yards.  In international play, Totti has been red carded from his past two major competitions, World Cup 2002 and Euro 2004.

Injury background – Totti was injured in a nasty tackle while playing for Roma three months before the World Cup was to kick off.  Tests revealed severe ligament damage to his ankle, and a prognosis of at least two months on the sidelines.  Totti healed well, and was able to resume jogging and light training after two months, and put him in line for a return to the playing field for Roma’s final league games and the Coppa Italia final in May.  In those games, he was not exceptional, but importantly, he came through unscathed and without setbacks.  He has since used the final month to get back into good physical condition and is expected to lead Italy’s three-pronged attack.

Results and Conclusion

Francesco Totti was clearly off form and not match fit during the World Cup, in which the Italians became World Cup champions with only very little contributions from Totti.  Totti was subbed off in the first two matches against Ghana and USA (in the first half following De Rossi’s red card) and by the time the second round match up came around, Totti found himself relegated to the bench.  In arguably his best performance of the cup, he did come on in the second half against Australia to show off some skillful touches before scoring the decisive penalty kick goal in minute 94 of regular time.  Having stayed on the pitch in the semifinals against Germany for 120 minutes, it was clear he did not have the legs in the final, and was duly substituted with 30 minutes to go in regular time having done very little.  

In the end, the World Cup proved to be too many games in too little time for Totti, who also looked to have been effected mentally by the injury, as he looked almost scared at times when the opposition had their legs anywhere near his ankles.  However, with a World Cup champions medal on his neck and the Champions League to look forward to with Roma in the coming season, he likely will not be complaining.

Case #2

Lionel Messi – Argentina

Duration on sidelines: 3 months

Injury prognosis: pulled thigh muscle

Return to action: 3 weeks before World Cup

Even at just 18 years, Lionel Messi has the potential to do great things this World Cup, and the expectations are there following his performances for Barcelona this year.  Following last season’s inclusion into the first team, Messi earned a starting position for Barcelona at right forward despite quality competition from the likes of Ludovic Giuly, Henrik Larsson, and Santi Ezquerro.  There was never any questioning Frank Rijkaard’s decision as Messi dazzled defenders and fans alike with his drop of the shoulder dribbling skills and speed.

Injury background – Lionel Messi suffered a pulled back-thigh muscle early in a Champions League second round game that took place in February.  The initial prognosis was that he would return to action in 4 weeks time.  However, 4 weeks came around and he was still not fit for action.  After 6 weeks, Messi was set to return only to feel pain again in the same leg during his first full training session.  He went back to the treatment room, even spending time with specialists back in Rosario, his hometown in Argentina.  Having finally healed, he returned to Barcelona for full training a week into May, and Barcelona was hopeful that he would feature in the Champions League final.  Messi was able to travel to Paris, but did not feature.  He reported for Argentina’s training camp in Argentina 4 days after the Champions League final, and has been fit ever since.

Results and conclusion

Messi showed no sign of injury or fatigue during the World Cup, having fully recovered from his muscle injury.  In what will surely be seen as a major mistake by head coach Pekerman in the near future, Messi struggled to earn playing time on the worlds’ greatest stage. 

Messi watched the first game against Cote D’Ivoire from the bench, before giving a virtuoso 18-minute substitute performance in the second game against Serbia & Montenegro where he contributed a goal and an assist and several other great plays.  His playing time increased in the next games against Holland (started but was substituted before the end) and Mexico (subbed on but played more because the game lasted 120 minutes), however in Argentina’s all important clash with Germany, Pekerman inexplicably left Messi on the bench, preferring the likes of Cambiasso and Julio Cruz instead.  

Case #3

Jan Koller – Czech Republic

Duration on Sidelines: 8 months

Injury prognosis: Torn ACL

Return to action: 6 weeks before World Cup

Jan “the Dinosaur” Koller has been a constant in Czech Republic’s national team for close to 10 years now.  With his Dinosaur-size 6’7” frame, he is the tank that leads the attacking line, and Czech Republic relies on him for more than just the 9 goals he scored in World Cup qualifying.  He is skillful on the ball, and also a great foil for the slighter frames of the attacking Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky.

Injury background – Jan Koller suffered the torn ACL very early in the Bundesliga season, forcing him to miss out on all competitions until the very last games.  Following 7 months out, followed by training for a month, he was then able to return and notch two goals in Borussia Dortmund’s final game of the season.  He reported to Czech Republic’s training camp still needing match fitness, and on the wrong side of 30 years, it will take a bit more for him to regain.  However, Jan Koller has the confidence of the coach, the team, and his scoring pedigree for the national team on his side.   

Results and conclusion

While it is inconclusive as to whether or not the injuries were related, Jan Koller was injured in the first World Cup match against the United States when he went down in the first half with a hamstring injury.  He managed to score only minutes into this game, but did not recover to play in the Czechs following group match games.

It is certainly possible that the hamstring injury was caused by his torn ACL injury; however, his age and size were also likely contributing factors.