FRISCO, Texas – Ricardo Villar was off and runing at the start of the 2012 season. Through his first four games, he scored two goals and provided much-needed leadership in the middle of the park. On April 5 against New England though, the FC Dallas midfielder went down in the second half with a foot injury that has kept him out since.
“You work so hard in preseason and the start of the season, getting into form, and starting to have fun and then something like that happens,” Villar told MLSsoccer.com. “It just breaks your sequence.”
During Villar’s absence, FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman has had to turn to inexperienced players such as Bobby Warshaw and Bruno Guarda to help fill the void. Both young players have done a serviceable job and Villar said he’s happy the team has been able to pick-up some key points while he continues to rehab.
“I don’t think you can ever point somebody out,” Villar said. “I think our strength is the team. We always play well together and for each other. The ability that that the team shows dealing with adversity in the lineup and with the injuries, shows our character. “
Against LA, Hyndman turned to Jackson, who had only been with the team for a about a week after being recalled from his loan to Brazilian first-division side Cruzeiro.
“I think getting Jackson back has given us a little versatility now of someone who can kind do something that Ricardo was doing," Hyndman said. "I think we didn’t have that player prior to Jackson coming in.”
There is no doubt Villar is eager to get back out on the pitch but according to Hyndman, a return for this Sunday’s home game against Colorado (7 pm ET, Galavision) is unlikely.
“I’m not really sure how soon Ricardo is going to be back,” he said. “We just had an MRI on him so we will know better when we get those results back.”
Even when Villar was on the field, he battled through various injuries from a sore ankle to a concussion. His heart and toughness will not allow him to sit out for much longer and the 32-year-old plans to come back better than ever.
“It’s another mental obstacle that I can overcome,” Villar said. “I can come back stronger than when I left.”
