The San Jose Earthquakes and U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team will have to make do without Marc Pelosi for important matches ahead.
On Friday, the Earthquakes revealed that the 21-year-old underwent successful surgery on his left knee, but he will be sidelined for two to three months. Pelosi will subsequently miss the U.S. U-23s Olympic qualifying playoff series vs. Colombia in March, and the start of the 2016 MLS season.
Pelosi previously suffered a broken right leg, which led to a 14-month absence, with Liverpool in 2013. After recovering from successful surgery, he was released by the Reds and subsequently moved to San Jose. The midfielder appeared in 12 matches for the Western Conference club in 2015.
Additionally, he appeared in three games for the U.S. U-23s during the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship last October. He scored the first goal in the team’s 2-0 victory vs. Canada in the third-place game.
The U.S. U-23s will play Colombia in the first leg of the pair’s Olympic qualifying playoff on March 25, and the second leg on March 29.
What do you think of Pelosi’s injury? Who should replace him on the U.S. U-23 roster against Colombia?
Share your thoughts below.
Yeah, well, that and the fact that if you take “former Liverpool player” out of his descriptor you would never know.
Maybe it was injuries robbing him of energy, pace, and touch, but he’s never looked very good to me.
Some guys, you understand the hype. This guy, I never did. Aside from that whole Liverpool thing.
Not sure what you’re expecting to see. He’s a deep lying cm type so you’re not going to understand his game unless you watch him closely for 10-15 matches of 60-90 minutes of action. CM’s do little stuff you don’t pick up on quickly. They don’t run at defenders like wings or forwards do. I don’t think any of us have seen enough matches to judge his game. The hype came from him apparently being highly rated by Liverpool and being close to making his debut before the broken leg. Scousers dropping him obviously puts a large dent in that hype. Same thing for a guy like GZ, really. The hype is mainly from what Arsenal sources are saying about him. Sure we’ve seen him in a few U17/20/23 matches but so hard to judge a CM in those matches or even in Rangers matches against 2nd division Scottish football. Jury is still out on theses guys. Highly rated at 17 for a skill player means you have to keep improving at a high rate every year for the next 5-6 years.
What position in soccer is not a “skill position”?
That’s “make do”.
He had that serious broken leg, now a knee. Hope he isn’t one of those whose career is derailed by injuries. As i recall, we are okay at midfield, so it shouldn’t be a devastating loss vs. Colombia.