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Johnson injury a cause for concern for Sounders

Photo by Steven Brashear/ISIphotos.com

Never mind the result. The Seattle Sounders may have lost something much more valuable on Sunday.

Forward Eddie Johnson suffered a hamstring injury in the Seattle Sounders’ regular season finale loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday night, and the club is now awaiting results from an MRI to determine the severity of it. Johnson sustained the knock late in the first half of Seattle’s 1-0 defeat at the Home Depot Center before being replaced at halftime, leaving Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid and the club’s rabid fan base with serious concern ahead of the start of the playoffs.

“I made a couple long runs early in the game and my hammy kind of tightened up on me,” Johnson told the Seattle Times. “My game is (made up) of making hard runs behind the back four, and there was a play where I tried to set the defender up like I was going to come for the ball and check away, and I felt a big cramp in my hamstring.

“I know what that feeling feels like. I was smart. I came out. I didn’t try to force it, but there’s definitely something there. If I had played, I’d have been restricted. The smart thing was for me to do what’s best for the team and come out. We’ll get an MRI on Monday and see what’s going on.”

While the seriousness of Johnson’s injury is not yet known, his status for the first leg of Seattle’s Western Conference semifinals series against Real Salt Lake appears to be in doubt, as the Sounders host RSL on Friday.

If Seattle’s leading goal-scorer is out for any significant amount of time beyond that, the Sounders would be a dealt a serious blow in their quest for their first MLS Cup.

Sammy Ochoa, who replaced Johnson in the loss to the Galaxy, is likely to be the U.S. Men’s National Team forward’s replacement should he not be able to suit up against Real Salt Lake.

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What do you make of Johnson’s injury? Expecting him to be out for Friday’s game? How will Seattle cope without him if he is sidelined an extended period of time?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Was it necessary to play Johnson and Rosales and the rest? I suppose so, as the match could have determined playoff seeding. But I debated with myself long and hard about whether I would risk injury to our absolutely key players, which include Alonso, Rosales, Montero, and Johnson.

    Here we are again in the same situation as last year – a last match injury to a key player severely hampering our playoff chances. We had sto stay healthy to have a good shot, and once again, we didn’t. In future, rest key players once 1-3 seeding is locked.

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  2. Seattle has not scored on Salt Lake in 5 out of the last 6 games. The only game they did, they were down 3-0 on aggregate and scored 2 ( came close to 3 ).

    EJ missing is NOT what they need right now.

    I can’t help but think if I were faking an injury, what a better way to do it than during a national TV game ? How about right before half ?

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  3. I read this while icing my hamstring, which I first injured in January. It keeps seemingly getting better than coming undone again. So, I’m worried for Eddie. Granted, I haven’t even been to the doctor, let alone have a training staff giving me hour-by-hour advice. Anyway, good luck to him.

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  4. Injuries this time of year are always dissapointing…but part of the game. Last year RSL’s chances in the playoffs were severely hampered due to inuries to Borchers and Olave. Its a long grinding season…I’m excited to see the outcome of another great home and away between these clubs.

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