The Canadian men's national team was in the headlines for the wrong reasons earlier this week when it was revealed that Alphonso Davies tore his ACL during international duty. When the injury occurred in the 12th minute of Canada's CONCACAF Nations League third-place match against the USMNT last week, there was no sense that the left back had done anything serious.
So much for that. He will now face six months sidelined. Let the finger-pointing begin.
Davies' agent suggested that Canada coach Jesse Marsch "pressured" an un-fit Davies into playing against the U.S. Bayern Munich, his club team, are furious. They have threatened to sue Canada, saying "sending a clearly injured player with a damaged knee on a 12-hour intercontinental flight without a thorough medical assessment is, in our view, grossly negligent."
In turn, Les Rouges responded, claiming "medical documentation confirms that proper care protocols were followed." A serious knee injury to a really good footballer has turned into performative mud-slinging in the media.
But it does help raise interesting questions about international football. Club managers have long complained about the impact of international breaks, with Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti among those railing against a packed schedule over the years. Players themselves have suggested that the calendar is so full that it might be time to take collective action.
But can anything really be changed here? Should soccer consider a format such as the NBA, with international competitions held in the summer, outside of the regular season? Or are the opportunities for footballers to represent their countries just injuries waiting to happen? And given all of that, can - and should - FIFA hold teams accountable to field their best lineups in tournaments such as the Club World Cup?
A disappointing injury for star player has brought all of those questions - and more - to the fore of the footballing consciousness. GOAL US writers try to answer some of them in the latest edition of... The Rondo.
