March 27 – Alphonso Davies’s (pictured) season is over after the Bayern Munich and Canadian talisman tore his cruciate ligament during his country’s 2-1 win over the United States in last week’s CONCACAF Nations League third-place game.
With Bayern and Canada involved in the FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup respectively, the timing couldn’t be worse for a player who is expected to be the centerpiece for club and country over the next year.
Nedal Huoseh, who represents Davies, was highly critical of Canada Soccer in the aftermath of the ACL tear, issuing a statement saying his client was convinced to play by his head coach, Jesse Marsch.
“Alphonso was not 100% after the Mexico game and it was planned that he was not going to start against the USA,” Huoseh said. “As a captain, I feel he was pressured to start the game by the coach. Alphonso is not the kind of guy to say no in those moments. He ended up playing and look what happened. Canada Soccer needs to do a better job managing these players, in my opinion.”
Canada Soccer hit back at Huoseh, labelling his comments “untrue.”
“We want to express our full support for our Men’s National Team captain Alphonso Davies as he recovers from this unfortunate injury,” Canada Soccer spokesman Paulo Senra told ESPN. “Phonzie’s strength and resilience match his world-class talent, and we all look forward to fully supporting him during his recovery.
“Canada Soccer’s coaches and experienced medical staff are true professionals, and have always prioritized player safety and wellbeing. Anything suggesting otherwise is untrue.”
This injury brings up the classic predicament players often find themselves in – club versus country. Bayern, who pay his wages, are rightly angry that their prized player will miss the run-in to the Bundesliga, which they currently lead; the UEFA Champions League, where they play their nemesis from the 2010 final, Inter Milan; and the FIFA Club World Cup to be played this summer in the USA.
“In international breaks there is unfortunately always a danger that players come back injured and this time it has hit us especially hard,” Bayern director of sport Max Eberl said. “The absences of Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano weigh heavily on FC Bayern.”
The injury to a star of Davies’s magnitude will have knock-on effects, as players are increasingly aware that overplaying can lead to these types of injuries.
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