New York Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz was left fuming at Major League Soccer for its scheduling after Wednesday night’s 1-1 draw in Toronto, which saw three of his players leave the match due to injury.
This was New York’s first match in 11 days, a break built in by MLS with the United States hosting the Club World Cup. Per CBA rules, players had to be given five days off completely away from the team, meaning Schwarz’s men had just four days to get back into match shape for their trip to Toronto.
“Normally, you need 10 days or two weeks for the next game [after a break like this],” Schwarz, who played and coached in Germany before making the jump to the United States with the Red Bulls last season.
Therefore, Wednesday’s transpirings were “not the biggest surprise” for Schwarz, as he watched star forward Lewis Morgan leave with an apparent quad injury in the 24th minute. It was just his second appearance back from knee surgery and his first start since the MLS season opener in February.
In the 58th minute, veteran defender Raheem Edwards went down clutching his left hamstring and had to be replaced. Wiktor Bogacz, who replaced Morgan, went off with a concussion less than 10 minutes later, though Schwarz relented that this sort of injury comes with the normal risk of aerial duels.
The others, however, are a different story.
“I’d love to speak to the guy who is responsible for that rule,” Schwarz said. “Everyone knows that you need good preparation, but the rule of five days [off during breaks], it’s not possible. It’s a new experience for me, and this is not the best idea…We lost two players… We are not allowed to control the guys during this break, and then they directly have to be ready in the middle of the season? Come on. This is unbelievable.”
Schwarz did not have updates on either Edwards or Morgan, but did note that the latter’s issue “is more of a muscle situation.”
After playing just once in 25 days, the Toronto match was the Red Bulls’ first of two games in four days.
“This is not the best idea,” Schwarz said.
