That really sucks for Williamson. To have to go through an ACL again so soon is simply brutal. I felt like he was settling in this year, finally able to trust the body to do what was needed and he has to go through it all again. Here is to a speedy and full recovery Eryk! Hope to see you back on the pitch as soon as possible.
It seems like very Timbers injury is a really bad injury that keeps players out of the lineup for a very long time, often after surgery. Tough for Eryk to have to go through again.
Looks like we're officially in a "rebuilding year", no expectations and lots of playing time for the young and less-talented. Like surfing, the past is behind you, the future is unknown, and in the present everything is exploding all around you.
The "grass v. turf" debate in soccer is about as productive, and every bit as tedious, as the "stats v. scouts" debate in baseball. Grass causes injuries! Turf causes injuries! Sports causes injuries! There have been any number of studies that reach entirely contradictory, yet completely supportable, conclusions on whether one is worse than the other.
As with anything personal-health related, though, there's not ever only one answer to "why", and that is compounded when you're talking about a group of people. Every body is unique, every person's system is unique, so it's really hard to point at one thing and say THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE PROBLEM.
I mean, there's all kinds of factors:
- Personal physiology
- Training methodology
- Training staff
- Recovery philosophy
- Luck/right place right time (The Mikael Silvestre injury, let's not forget, happened to his leg that happened to be in the air at the time, so the ground had absolutely zero bearing on that particular career-ender)
I'd love for there to be one thing we could point at as The Problem, because that'd mean an easy fix. But there is no easy fix here. It sucks but all teams go through it - Seattle went through it last year, and this year that whole roster is fully healthy, and Seattle have probably the deepest bench in MLS right now because all their good players are competing for minutes.
Yeah he's done with the USMNT and he's not going to Europe, not because he's a bad player but because he will have aged out and have an injury history that everyone will be wary of. Hopefully, he comes up the realization like Asprilla did that Europe is not happening and works to become a Timbers legend.
I mean, you could have the best doctor in the world, but that doctor can't prevent you from stepping on a broken piece of pavement and shredding your ankle. It's the same in sports - the best physio team in the game can't prevent a guy from taking a wrong step or planting his foot funny, or getting stepped on, and then getting hurt.
They definitely play a role in recovery, and that's where there are definitely questions to be asked, but it's a pretty big stretch (no pun intended) to blame the injuries themselves on the medical staff, I think.
All these injuries cannot just be coincidence. Something is causing it and I am starting to think it is turf. How many other teams have had so many long term injuries. Seattle and Portland have to be the biggest plagued teams. Both play on turf.
I hate to say it but this year is looking more and more over. We need a major overhaul at the end of the year. Starting with gio.
Nieazgoda, Blanco, yimmi, mabiala, need to be the first to go.
Man, so sorry to hear this, both for the team and Williamson personally. Just a gut punch for a season that looks like a total loss so far. I am hopeful for Evander, but with nobody to back him up or with a Williamson like approach to the game also out there in the middle, I don't think he will be successful this season.
It's official - The Timbers are cursed. The curse will be lifted once MP sells.
Also, I bagged on Eryk a ton this year, and to think he might have been playing through pain makes me feel really guilty. Sorry Eryk! I wish you a full and speedy recovery. You are a good character and member of the team, and I hope you are gliding down the field next year like we all know you can do.
That seals the deal for me - this year is cooked. I wonder how it will play out:
A) Train wreck
B) Plucky squad earns playoff bid with 0-0 draws and a few 1-0 wins
This is 'funny.' The same, "we are cursed" is spoken loud and often by Blazer fans after another fabulous year of injuries. Maybe Portland is now cursed. Sigh...
The Timbers never once intimated they were "set to burn" an amnesty on Blanco. Most of us on the outside wanted/want them to, but I would be very surprised if they bought out the contract of Blanco (or Niezgoda for that matter) at this point.
They'd have to replace Blanco on the roster and pay that player's salary, while also paying Blanco the $1.7M he's owed for this year. While MP could easily afford to do that, not many clubs want to pay two salaries for one roster spot, especially when the bought-out salary is as high as Blanco's.
I'm not sure why we all think that amnestying is a thing teams will do regularly, because it's very much not. The last time the Timbers amnestied a player was Kris Boyd in 2013, and there have only been 12 amnesties overall in MLS since 2021 according to data from mlssoccer.com (2021 is as far back as I could find data without googling team by team).
Should the buyout be used more as a tool? Maybe. But it's not - it's pretty much the nuclear option, so it's probably not something that we should count on as a regular way to maintain a roster, or a silver bullet to get the Timbers out of the mess they're currently in.
Well, shit.
I guess we’re just lucky part of the ligament didn’t fly out and take one of Diego Chara’s eyes.
That really sucks for Williamson. To have to go through an ACL again so soon is simply brutal. I felt like he was settling in this year, finally able to trust the body to do what was needed and he has to go through it all again. Here is to a speedy and full recovery Eryk! Hope to see you back on the pitch as soon as possible.
LMAO
https://www.thenutmegnews.com/current/2023/4/11/what-has-someone-else-done-to-cause-this-states-baffled-and-distraught-merritt-paulson
Hoping for an independent investigation with results to be published by fall 2025.
I knew it! It's the OUIJA board's fault!
Damn, I put that on my Timbers calendar cover this year too. So it's my fault too...
"I guess if nobody wants to play for the Timbers, I'll do it"
That is pretty damn funny, but also a little sad. Mostly funny though. Some serious Onion level humor!
Every Saturday around the 85th minute I tell myself, "Well, it can't get much worse."
And then the following week happens
It seems like very Timbers injury is a really bad injury that keeps players out of the lineup for a very long time, often after surgery. Tough for Eryk to have to go through again.
Looks like we're officially in a "rebuilding year", no expectations and lots of playing time for the young and less-talented. Like surfing, the past is behind you, the future is unknown, and in the present everything is exploding all around you.
Yeah but we are “rebuilding people” and not the team.
It's obviously because of the grass in Dallas. If only they had played that game on turf!
_________________
J/K, but not really because this is how people respond to injuries that happen on turf....
The "grass v. turf" debate in soccer is about as productive, and every bit as tedious, as the "stats v. scouts" debate in baseball. Grass causes injuries! Turf causes injuries! Sports causes injuries! There have been any number of studies that reach entirely contradictory, yet completely supportable, conclusions on whether one is worse than the other.
As with anything personal-health related, though, there's not ever only one answer to "why", and that is compounded when you're talking about a group of people. Every body is unique, every person's system is unique, so it's really hard to point at one thing and say THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE PROBLEM.
I mean, there's all kinds of factors:
- Personal physiology
- Training methodology
- Training staff
- Recovery philosophy
- Luck/right place right time (The Mikael Silvestre injury, let's not forget, happened to his leg that happened to be in the air at the time, so the ground had absolutely zero bearing on that particular career-ender)
I'd love for there to be one thing we could point at as The Problem, because that'd mean an easy fix. But there is no easy fix here. It sucks but all teams go through it - Seattle went through it last year, and this year that whole roster is fully healthy, and Seattle have probably the deepest bench in MLS right now because all their good players are competing for minutes.
Well, good news is that Paredes and Loria are both not on the injury report for this week!
*yet
Don’t even say that
Timbers did something really bad in a past life
Getting news that players are returning to full practice and even Blanco walked off the field with a smile, per Ryan Clarke.
And now this....
My expectations weren't that high this season. Now, I think I'll just focus on guys like Juan and Zac continuing develop.
Feel so badly for Eryk. Guy was hoping to get back in the USMNT rotation and that's probably over.
Yeah he's done with the USMNT and he's not going to Europe, not because he's a bad player but because he will have aged out and have an injury history that everyone will be wary of. Hopefully, he comes up the realization like Asprilla did that Europe is not happening and works to become a Timbers legend.
At this point I would like an explanation of how these injuries are not due to our Physio team... Wtf?
Well, the surgery is going to be performed by one of the Doctors Jake Gleeson is suing. Let's hope it's not a repeat.
I mean, you could have the best doctor in the world, but that doctor can't prevent you from stepping on a broken piece of pavement and shredding your ankle. It's the same in sports - the best physio team in the game can't prevent a guy from taking a wrong step or planting his foot funny, or getting stepped on, and then getting hurt.
They definitely play a role in recovery, and that's where there are definitely questions to be asked, but it's a pretty big stretch (no pun intended) to blame the injuries themselves on the medical staff, I think.
Wtf is up with the constant stream of knee injuries?
All these injuries cannot just be coincidence. Something is causing it and I am starting to think it is turf. How many other teams have had so many long term injuries. Seattle and Portland have to be the biggest plagued teams. Both play on turf.
I hate to say it but this year is looking more and more over. We need a major overhaul at the end of the year. Starting with gio.
Nieazgoda, Blanco, yimmi, mabiala, need to be the first to go.
Man, so sorry to hear this, both for the team and Williamson personally. Just a gut punch for a season that looks like a total loss so far. I am hopeful for Evander, but with nobody to back him up or with a Williamson like approach to the game also out there in the middle, I don't think he will be successful this season.
The team is a mess.
Naw... While I wish Eryk a quick recovery, he's not what is needed for Evander to be at his best. Paredes is a much better fit.
Wow that sicks for Eryk. Best of luck to him healing up.
It's official - The Timbers are cursed. The curse will be lifted once MP sells.
Also, I bagged on Eryk a ton this year, and to think he might have been playing through pain makes me feel really guilty. Sorry Eryk! I wish you a full and speedy recovery. You are a good character and member of the team, and I hope you are gliding down the field next year like we all know you can do.
That seals the deal for me - this year is cooked. I wonder how it will play out:
A) Train wreck
B) Plucky squad earns playoff bid with 0-0 draws and a few 1-0 wins
C) Tryouts for next season's squad
Noel Caliskan looks promising for T2. i think 2 goals & an assist in 3 games. Put him in, we got almost no one else to play
Yeah I didn’t think he was trying hard enough, maybe that just his nature or maybe he was still playing a bit nervously.
Might need a a sports psychologist to work on that side of recovery with the guys.
This is 'funny.' The same, "we are cursed" is spoken loud and often by Blazer fans after another fabulous year of injuries. Maybe Portland is now cursed. Sigh...
Is the amnesty clause up for debate now? I think we were set to burn one on Blanco this year, and I wonder how this affects that....
The Timbers never once intimated they were "set to burn" an amnesty on Blanco. Most of us on the outside wanted/want them to, but I would be very surprised if they bought out the contract of Blanco (or Niezgoda for that matter) at this point.
They'd have to replace Blanco on the roster and pay that player's salary, while also paying Blanco the $1.7M he's owed for this year. While MP could easily afford to do that, not many clubs want to pay two salaries for one roster spot, especially when the bought-out salary is as high as Blanco's.
I'm not sure why we all think that amnestying is a thing teams will do regularly, because it's very much not. The last time the Timbers amnestied a player was Kris Boyd in 2013, and there have only been 12 amnesties overall in MLS since 2021 according to data from mlssoccer.com (2021 is as far back as I could find data without googling team by team).
Should the buyout be used more as a tool? Maybe. But it's not - it's pretty much the nuclear option, so it's probably not something that we should count on as a regular way to maintain a roster, or a silver bullet to get the Timbers out of the mess they're currently in.
Thanks for clarifying that.