KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Nightmare scenarios don’t get much more vivid than the one that confronted the Crew Saturday night three minutes into their 3-2 victory against Orlando City SC at the Disney Pro Soccer Classic.
The ball may have been nestled in the back of the net courtesy of a Agustin Viana header, but Chad Marshall remained face first on the turf, a blow to the head triggering collective déjà vu related to the centerback’s documented struggles with concussions.
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Marshall left the field under his own power and a brief test was administered before he was substituted and headed back to the locker room, prompting speculation that head coach Robert Warzycha’s most experienced defender may have suffered another concussion.
“I thought maybe that was going to be a concussion, but I think he [got hit] in the jaw,” Warzycha said. “[After halftime], he was sitting on the bench and I knew that he didn’t have a headache or anything else. He’ll be fine for next game.”
According to Warzycha, a team physician evaluated Marshall following the incident. The Crew also released the following statement regarding the collision.
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“Chad Marshall did sustain a blow to the head in the first half. He was removed from the game as a precaution. He will continue to be evaluated by our medical staff at this time. A determination will be made later.”
But despite Marshall’s presence on the bench in the second half and Warzycha’s positive outlook, it still represented a scary moment for those on the field who are expecting the former MLS Best XI defender to help lead the Crew back to the postseason.
“It’s very scary. I obviously wasn’t sure – still not sure – what it is exactly,” Eddie Gaven told MLSsoccer.com. “Hopefully, everything is alright with him. It was nice to see him walking around, so that was good. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow when he wakes up … It’s definitely very scary when he goes down with his head after all the problems he’s had in the past.”
