Injuries Is it just me or does it seem that the players this year are getting hurt alot earlier and taking a lot longer to get back out on the field than in previous years. I know in the past, a couple players would begin the year still recovering from off season surgery, but it seems that players are taking alot longer to heal than in previous years. Which leads me to ask, what ever happened to the guy(i think his name was Guter), that had been with the team previously. Maybe the coaching staff was a wrong to think the team was being held up by this guy. Seems to me I heard last fall that he wasdoing something with the US team. Anyone know? Seems to me that isn't it strange that he is not good enough for DC United, but he is for the US team?
Re: Injuries Yes, he's now working with the Nats and I think a few here may share the idea that maybe he wasn't the problem. K
Exactly. -There's not much the new trainer could do to prevent Reyes ACL/Meniscus problem. -Stress fracture is hard to avoid, and Barclay is a recent addition. -Ivanov, also a recent addition, and another hernia incident. -Prideaux's hamstring pull was just a freak accident as he was in shape so it was also unpreventable. -Swann was a recent draft pick when he broke bones. Why focus on these freak injuries when people like Stoickov, Quaranta, Etcheverry, Olsen, and Convey who are all prone to minor injuries are still running around fine. (Knock on wood..)
A factor in injury the team does have control over: warm-up techniques, including stretching. Poor warm-ups are a common contributor to long muscle injury in other-wise fit individuals. The changing weather this time of year, and this year in particular, certainly influences type and duration of warm-up as well. Meniscus tears are usaully the result of anatomically incorrect motion, as are ligament tears. Strong musculature surrounding joints is generally the best preventative medicine. Having had a medial menisectomy(non-arthroscopic) in 1976, and an ACL strain in the same knee in 2001, I know Milton has a long road ahead. I am very confident Milton will bring the same heart and work ethic to his recovery that he does to the field. Mark