Houston Dynamo could have another key member of last season's MLS Cup championship team back on the field this Saturday when they take on Chivas USA at Robertson Stadium, as defensive midfielder Ricardo Clark said his knee injury, which has sidelined him since the end of March, is feeling good.
Clark said he was feeling good after practice Thursday, but cautioned, "I'm just taking things day-by-day, and we'll see how it feels for playing on Saturday.
"(The knee) hurts a little right now," he added. "(The injury) is definitely in the back of my mind. It's feeling better each day, so I think I'm getting more and more confident."
Clark's return would be welcomed by the Orange, who will be without defender Ryan Cochrane on Saturday because of a one-game suspension after receiving a red card against the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Dynamo's opener.
"Clark is the best defensive midfielder in this league," said defender Craig Waibel. "Fit or getting fit, he is the best defensive midfielder that this league has. With all due respect to the rest of the guys playing that position, I think his addition is as big as any one you can put in our lineup."
Clark played in 31 matches last season for Dynamo, scoring two goals and three assists, though he was suspended for the MLS Cup Final victory against the New England Revolution. He played the full 90 minutes for the U.S. national team in their first two friendlies of the year against Denmark and Mexico. If he is on the field on Saturday, his teammates expect him to be ready to play.
"It's good to have Ricardo back, and he puts in a lot of work in the middle of the field," said forward Alejandro Moreno. "He's got to come in and do things we expect him to do and be sharp. The sharper he is, the better he is."
Whether Clark will see playing time against Chivas is still up in the air, but he will be, "on the 'A' team for sure," head coach Dominic Kinnear said.
"We'll see how he comes through practice (Friday)," Kinnear said. "In all likelihood, he's going to be OK, and he will be a welcomed addition back to the field.
"I think Ricardo would be a great addition to all 13 teams in this league. We're lucky he's our addition to the team. Ricardo is a good player, and he's a big reason why we were champions last year."
Jeremy Rakes is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
