PURCHASE, N.Y. – David Villa looked sharp in limited involvement in an intrasquad scrimmage at training Thursday, but New York City FC’s star striker is still questionable for Sunday’s clash with the Seattle Sounders FC at Yankee Stadium (7 pm ET; Fox Sports 1).
“I think it’s a very difficult thing in this league, and I’ve always thought so, when you have extremely important players like that, that you’re allocating a lot of resources to, you need those guys on the field,” NYCFC coach Jason Kreis said. “It’s not just about what David Villa is, it’s also about what he brings to the group and how everyone feels a bit more confident and positive that plays around him.”
Villa warmed up with the full team, played in the first full-sided scrimmage, and worked with trainers along the side of the field during the second scrimmage. Originally sidelined with what was believed to be a hamstring issue, Villa has been diagnosed with right hip irritation, something Kreis said is not uncommon with veteran players.
“The real area of concern is the hip. Everything is stemming from there,” Kreis said. “It’s something we need to be mindful of. I think we’ve got it in a good place now and we need to consider it as we move forward”
While Kreis said it’s still too early to determine if Villa, who has missed the last two matches to injury, will return for Sunday, he was encouraged that forward Adam Nemec and Javier Calle, who has played well as a left back, will be back sooner than initially thought from hamstring injuries suffered in a 1-0 loss at Chicago last Friday.
Both worked with trainers on Thursday.
“The initial indication was that they would be out for several weeks, but now we’re hopeful we can have those guys back and ready for next week,” Kreis said.
Central defender Jason Hernandez, who also did side work, could return to full training as early as Friday and fullback Josh Williams, who is probable with an adductor strain, trained fully with the club on Thursday.
The rash of injuries has forced Kreis to bring in outside players – not trialists – just to have a full training squad. Gambian defender Emmanuel Gomez, who previously played for Toronto FC, defender R.J. Allen, who played for Skive IK of the Danish first division, and former Jamaican youth international Ashani Fairclough of the Wilmington Hammerheads all participated in training Thursday.
Kreis said he believes several factors – getting an entire team acclimated to living in a new area, numerous injuries and the recent logjam of matches – has resulted in a bit of a disjointed start for the expansion side.
“If you start to consider all those things, I think you have to feel pretty good about what we’re doing,” Kreis said. “Obviously we’d like to have a lot more points under our belt, but if you look at the individual performances and you actually start to break down the individual games, I think we’ve been a little unfortunate.”
And even when completely healthy, the team isn’t quite whole, with former England international Frank Lampard scheduled to arrive from Manchester City in July. However, Kreis isn’t concerned about the club’s rhythm when the star midfielder finally joins the squad.
“By the time we get him we will have a group that has been together for several months,” Kreis said. “They should be able to support him and his changes that he’s having to make outside of the game and also should be able to support him by knowing what we’re trying to do tactically.”
FC Dallas buoyed by goalscoring return of midfielder Mauro Diaz: "He turns the lights on"
FRISCO, Texas – The enigmatic story of Mauro Diaz’s injury may have entered a new chapter after FC Dallas’ Friday game against the Colorado Rapids.
The oft-injured but talented Argentine finally cracked the lineup after five weeks nursing a recurring leg injury. And to make his return even better, it only took Diaz 31 minutes into the game to score his first goal of the season, giving him a sense of confidence as he gets his legs back under him.
“I feel very happy to be back, and obviously a goal makes me more confident to keep going on a good track,” Diaz told MLSSoccer.com through a translator.
And even though it took Diaz five frustrating weeks of mixing in training with rehab and sitting on the bench, after starting the first three games of the season, all FCD wins, head coach Oscar Pareja believes his young midfielder is returning to his full potential.
“It’s natural with a player that didn’t have too much continuity last year to retake his full level,” Pareja told MLSsoccer.com, noting that Diaz only played in 17 games in 2014. “It takes games, especially when we wanted to work on his strengthening and his balance to avoid future injuries. So it’s a process for sure, but I do really see all things coming back.”
The Dallas attack remained dangerous even without Diaz on the pitch – featuring the eye-popping ability of winger Fabian Castillo. Even Diaz’s goal on Friday in the 1-1 draw was a direct result of Castillo’s innate ball skills.
But as a team, FCD logged a mere 1-2-1 record without Diaz in the lineup. Pareja says getting Diaz back in the starting XI adds another dimension to his team’s attack.
“He brings calmness,” Pareja said. “Like I said before, he turns the lights on in the last third of the field especially. That’s his ability. He does that job well. So it’s good to have someone who can glue us in the middle, and at the same time have that final pass and decision right.”
As far as playing a full 90 minutes is concerned, Diaz and Pareja both believe that the midfielder is nearing that workload. But as has been the case since his injuries last season, the team continues to take a conservative approach to make sure he is fully right to avoid overworking him.
“I feel like I could do 90 minutes,” Diaz said, “but it all comes down to the decision of the coach and keeping recuperating with my legs.”
Given the skills Diaz has shown in limited MLS action and the fact that the team struggled to pick up wins with him out of the lineup, his return could not come at a better time.
“We are happy to see a player who is important for the group, who has different characteristics getting back to that level,” Pareja said. “It’ll take a few games, but we’re in a good direction.”
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