Adjusting to the rigors of professional soccer can be rough for any rookie, but this season has been especially trying for FC Dallas rookie defender George John. After offseason knee surgery forced him to miss much of preseason, John made his MLS debut with FCD on April 11 and soon showed why FCD took him 14th overall in January's SuperDraft.
However, John's fortunes quickly went south from there. He had to leave a U.S. Open Cup play-in game at D.C United on April 22 with a strained left hamstring, just the start of his injury problems. After missing two games, he returned on May 9 against Houston and also started the following weekend against Seattle Sounders FC before an injured right hamstring forced him to the bench before halftime.
John was out of action for five more games before returning as a late-game change in a 2-0 win over the Red Bulls on July 4. He then started the following week at Colorado and again on July 24 at Real Salt Lake when his left hamstring again forced him to leave early, this time at the break. The University of Washington product has now missed three games with his latest injury, a total that could grow to four or five depending on when he returns.
"It's been a very frustrating three or four months for me definitely," John said. "I got an MRI on my hamstring and we're kind of on the right track to get it healthy, both of them so to speak. It's been a long road and hopefully, this time when I come back, I'll be back for sure and there will be no question that I will be 100 percent for the rest of my career."
For FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman, who is a big fan of the 6-3 defender, watching John's injury woes has been tough.
"He got hurt in the U.S. Open Cup game in D.C.," the FCD coach said. "He went in because there was an injury. I think (Daniel) Torres came out and he went in. He made one hard run down the flank and that was it. That was the moment of difference. From that moment of difference, he has tried to come back and he goes out. He tried to come back and he goes out."
Considering that John's last stint back was abbreviated since he re-injured his hamstring after not much time back, Hyndman isn't taking any chances this time around.
"We're doing everything we can with the Michael Johnson Center, with special people that try to elongate the muscles," he said. "It might not just be a hamstring. It might be a hip flexor that's stopping the movement. We're doing everything we possibly can. But bringing him back one week too soon, it could all crumble again. So we're really taking our time with him. We don't want to end it just because of all those reasons. We don't want to end his season or put him on injured reserve or whatever. He's another gutsy kid."
The rookie center back does have a date in mind for when he wants to return to training.
"September 1 is the main goal for me being ready to go and completely healthy with no questions asked," John said. "That's the main goal right now and hopefully when that comes, I'll be ready to go for the rest of the season."
Before his knee surgery, he never really had been injured as a collegian. That makes this experience both unique and tough simultaneously.
"In college, I never got injured really until my knee surgery," he said. "It's been character building on a new team and not knowing a bunch of the guys. It's a whole new situation, having to do deal with this being in and being out constantly and kind of losing guys' trust. It's been a constant battle trying to get healthy and get guys to believe in me again."
During his most recent recovery, John decided to forego his long hair in favor of a more aerodynamic, shorter look, a change that drew reaction from media, fans and his teammates.
"It was just more of needing a change (was why I cut my hair)," he said. "The heat, I get used to it but my barber messed it up. I saw myself on TV, I think it was the Colorado game and I thought I looked pretty ridiculous. I was laughing at myself and thought, who am I kidding? I had to do that. Yeah, every now and then (my teammates ribbed me about my hair). The cool part was showing up to training after my hair was cut. People didn't recognize me. That was the fun part."
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com
