Friday, June 4, 2010
Injuries Taking A Toll
Injuries to key players are stealing the headlines as the kickoff to the World Cup is a week away. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba broke his arm in a friendly match against Japan earlier today, and initial reports had him missing out on the tournament. However, head coach Sven Goran Eriksson later said Drogba could undergo surgery and be ready to play in 10 days. England captain Rio Ferdinand, a central defender, injured knee ligaments in training and has been ruled out of action, leaving question marks about who will replace him in England's backline. U.S. forward Jozy Altidore suffered a mild ankle sprain and though he will likely be held out of tomorrow's exhibition against Australia, all indications are that he will be healthy for the June 12th opener against England. Other big names that were already ruled out include midfielder Michael Ballack and goalkeeper Rene Adler of Germany, midfielder Michael Essien of Ghana, forwards Charlie Davies of the U.S. and Salvador Cabanas of Paraguay, and, of course, David Beckham of England. For teams with exhibition matches remaining before the start of group play, the main goal will most likely be staying healthy and injury free. France suffered a somewhat embarrassing 1-0 loss to China today, but will probably take comfort in the fact that nobody was hurt in the match.
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2 comments:
I saw something on Yahoo today suggesting Thierry Henry cursed this year's World Cup with his handball against Ireland last year. He gives three examples; China beating France in the tune-up, Drogba's arm (which may not count anymore), and Ferdinands knee?
How have injuries played in World Cup's past? Is there strength behind the curse theory?
Will
Will-
Interesting theory. That handball was, and still remains, one of the most contentious and controversial plays of the last few decades. However, the Ferdinand/Drogba injuries are the kind that can happen in any game or training session. Having watched most of the France-China match, I can say that France dominated possession but lacked the creativity to break down a Chinese team that defended with all 11 players after taking the lead, and their goalkeeper played extremely well. Sounds like the Yahoo article is one of those stories that comes out in the long lead-up to the World Cup when there just isn't much to report on until the games start.
Thanks for reading.
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