As they prepare for a playoff run and a shot at their first piece of hardware, Chivas USA must make do without one of their most important players.
Francisco Palencia will miss the remainder of the regular season with a sprained knee following a collision with FC Dallas midfielder Simo Valakari on Wednesday.
Palencia has four goals and four assists this year, but his value to the club reaches beyond statistics.
"His experience, his understanding of how to play in big games, his mentality, those are all things that we'll miss," Chivas USA coach Bob Bradley said.
Chivas have had a mix of experienced veterans and young talent this season. From Claudio Suarez and Palencia, who have a combined five World Cups between them, to rookies Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein, the club featured players on both ends of the spectrum.
Now, without Palencia leading the way, the club will be missing a player who has had success with the Mexican national team, in the Mexican Primera Division and in international club tournaments.
Compounding the injury was Palencia's recent health. On Aug. 6, Palencia went down with a hamstring injury that kept him out of four games. He returned to action on Sept. 3 against D.C. United only to pick up a red card. He again returned Wednesday, this time as a starter, and played until he was injured at the end of the first half of Chivas' 1-0.
"He had this hamstring injury and had worked hard to come back from that and in his first start back hurt his knee on a bit of a fluky play," Bradley said. "Everybody feels for him because of the kind of person that he is and the important role he has in our team on and off the field."
With any luck, Palencia could rejoin Chivas sooner than the initial timeframe.
"The initial thought was six weeks," Bradley said. "If you use the calendar, that puts you in the second leg of the first round of the playoffs. But I know that Paco is also determined to try and be ahead of that schedule."
With Palencia a part of the club from the beginning this year, he has had an influence on the club. Bradley said he hoped other players had learned from having had him around and would carry it over into the remaining part of the season.
"The hope, for sure, throughout the year is players have seen the way he handles things and they've learned from that and hopefully they'll be able to carry that on," he said. "That's what good teams can do: when players are out, you hope that other players have been prepared to step up and understand what's expected."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
