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Gatt suffers knee injury, is a doubt for Gold Cup

JoshGatt2 FKMoldevsSarpsborg08 (rbnett.no)

By DAN KARELL

Recent U.S. Men’s National Team call-up Josh Gatt suffered a left knee injury on Saturday in the first-half of his team Molde FK’s 3-1 victory over Sarpsborg.

The 21-year-old midfielder, starting as a center forward on the day, was forced off in the 39th minute with what reports in Norway are calling a left knee sprain. Gatt was named to the final 23-man USMNT squad for the Gold Cup this summer, but the reports state that his participation in the tournament could be in doubt.

Gatt has made two substitute appearances for the USMNT, first appearing in the 2-2 draw at Russia last November and winning his second cap in the scoreless draw in January against Canada.

Though he has failed to score so far this season at club level in the Norweigian Tippeligaen, Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has played him 11 times this season, nine of them starts.

What do you make of this news?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. If he cant go id like to see him replaced with EJ, but due to recent decisions i could see Bobby Wood taking this spot, i could live with that. Any chance we could add somebody not on the prelim roster for this spot? like say agudelo?

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  2. Well I’m sure Jurgen will call in another defensive midfielder or another true winger whose hurt as well – so he can evaluate him personally.

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    • Ah, yes, the old “Josh Gatt injured, so let’s complain about Jürgen Klinsmann” tactic. Thanks for your contribution.

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  3. “Seems like every time they want to bring him in, he gets injured. I like the kid, but lets face it. He’s very injury prone.” Haven’t I read this same comment multiple times on this blog referring to Stuart Holden ?

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    • No, since Stuart Holden isn’t injury-prone. He’s only been on the receiving end of two vicious, reckless tackles that tore open his flesh.

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      • Only? He had a leg injury at Sunderland — way back before Houston — plus he got jumped. Yes, he suffered two tough tackles, but he had some reaggravations, etc., was out nearly two years. It’s oversimplified to act like injury history is irrelevant. Ended Olsen’s career, limited Convey’s, ended O’Brien’s, etc.

        Now, McBride fought through more than his share of injuries and had a pretty good club and country career. But even without assigning blame or calling some injury prone, it’s a fact of life that he’s only as useful to us as he can stay healthy.

      • Mr. 415,

        The term “injury prone” is applied to athletes who tend to miss quite a large number of matches or games due to injury.

        The term has no “value judgment” attached to it in that it does not matter WHY you got injured.

        Perhaps there was been an agreement between the hard men of the EPL to pick on the American Golden Boy in a burst of anti-Americanism to keep those Americans in their place.

        And maybe these were the same guys who jumped Stu that evening in Sunderland when he got beat up off the field and thus was unable to win a job with Sunderland back in 2005.

        I don’t know and I don’t care because the motivation, such as it is, behind Stu’s injuries that have cost him game time is irrelevant.

        Holden has been at Bolton for three a half seasons and has spanned 140 league games. There are only 38 league games in a season. A top starter like him can expect to have about 40 appearances a season, across all competitions. That is about what Dempsey averaged at Fulham where he was unquestionably a top starter.

        He has 38 appearances total.

        He has missed 102 league games in three and a half seasons.

        He has missed about 73% of his league games and who knows how many cup games.

        Any sensible neutral observer would be forgiven for looking at Stu’s situation and saying “ this kid is injury prone or, if I don’t want to offend anyone’s sensibilities, I can certainly call him “unlucky”.

        And that would not even include the fact that he might have had a career with Sunderland if not for his off the field injuries.

        teast he’ll have Zak Whitbread for company in whatever USMNT category they wind up being placed when all is said and done.

  4. If he has to miss the gold cup, who replaces him?

    It would be nice to see bocanegra find a team in the next couple days and fill the spot.

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  5. +1. Seems like every time they want to bring him in, he gets injured. I like the kid, but lets face it. He’s very injury prone.

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  6. Until the USMNT looks at wingers or a change in the system I do not see Gatt in the USMNT for a longtime. He is a talent being put on the shelf by the USMNT.

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    • Our system is built for good wingers right now… We just don’t have any that would be called good. (Fabian is good but not actually a winger sooo?)

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      • On the wings Donovan and Beasley bring world class speed to the winger position…Gatt does…Zusi not…Considering the ages of Donovan and Beasley..wouldn’t it be a good idea to get some world class speed on the wings?

  7. I doubt that even with a minor knee sprain, he will be able to play by next weekend. That being said, I hope JK can call him up for at least one of the final WCQ matches. I think he is an exciting talent to watch.

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