Injury Vexes Galaxy Defender
Danny Califf has had better weeks.
Last Saturday, the Galaxy and U.S. national team defender was run into twice, first by the Columbus Crew’s Edson Buddle and later by Jeff Cunningham, and had to leave the game 67 minutes into Los Angeles’ 2-0 victory at the Home Depot Center.
On Sunday, when he was supposed to fly to Dallas to join the U.S. squad for its midweek match against Mexico, Califf, 24, instead was at home in Orange, treating a suspected sprained ligament in his right knee.
“I had this same injury in January and it forced me out of the national team camp and the game against Denmark,” he said. “To have this happen three days before we’re supposed to play Mexico ... I’m really frustrated about it.”
On Monday, a scheduled MRI exam was postponed to the next day, adding to Califf’s frustration.
“I’ve been icing the knee every two hours and taking anti-inflammatory” medication, he said. “It’s still sore, and I can’t do all that much on it.”
On Tuesday, he had the MRI exam and was told that that the injury might also involve torn cartilage, something that could put his season in jeopardy.
“I’m just waiting to hear back tomorrow morning if it’s going to be serious ... or whether it’s just a sprain,” he said, trepidation evident in his voice.
On Wednesday, to his dismay, Califf learned that he had a torn cartilage. Adding to his misery, although he was pleased by the result, the U.S. defense, anchored by Eddie Pope and Pablo Mastroeni, played well that night in a 1-0 shutout of Mexico at the Cotton Bowl.
Califf, who would have started, was hardly missed.
On Thursday, he was left to realize that with Pope and Mastroeni excelling and with Cory Gibbs and Carlos Bocanegra also very much in U.S. Coach Bruce Arena’s plans, his 2006 World Cup dreams had suddenly become clouded.
On Friday, while the Galaxy was training in New England for tonight’s match against the Revolution at Foxboro, Mass., Califf, along with the recuperating quartet of Cobi Jones, Hong Myung-Bo, Peter Vagenas and Sasha Victorine, remained in California.
All in all, not a good week.
Califf dreads the idea of being sidelined, especially when it would be for the second time in only five months.
“It’s something that I’m scared about,” he said. “I don’t want that to be the case. Certainly, I don’t want surgery, but also in the back of my mind is that six weeks I was out earlier in the year.”
The Galaxy will wait and see. Califf’s injury will be reevaluated on Monday, but it seems doubtful that he will be playing again in the next few weeks.
That’s a blow to both the unbeaten Galaxy and to the U.S., which opens World Cup qualifying against Grenada in June.
“I spoke to Bruce on Sunday,” Califf said. “He was very encouraging about it and just basically said to get better and that I’m coming back in” to the national team camp. “So that made me feel a lot better about the situation.”
With Califf out and Korean veteran Hong out with flu-like symptoms, Coach Sigi Schmid is without two central defenders. Ryan Suarez and Tyrone Marshall probably will start in the center tonight, flanked by Chris Albright on the right and Paul Broome on the left.
*
TONIGHT
at New England, 4:30 PDT
Site -- Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Mass.
Radio -- KMPC (1540), KMXE (830, Spanish).
TV -- Fox Sports World (live); Channel 9 (tape-delayed, 8 p.m.).
Records -- Galaxy 2-0-2, Revolution 0-2-1.
Record vs. Revolution -- 1-0.
Update -- The Galaxy shut out New England, 3-0, in the season opener on goals by Carlos Ruiz, Andreas Herzog and Jovan Kirovski. Los Angeles will be without defenders Danny Califf (right knee) and Hong Myung-Bo (flu), winger Cobi Jones (tonsillectomy) and midfielders Sasha Victorine (right ankle) and Peter Vagenas (right groin). The Revolution will be minus defender Carlos Llamosa (left knee) and forward Joe-Max Moore (right knee).
