Friday, April 22nd, 2011 is a date forever stitched into Sounders players, owners, and fans memories.
The Sounders won that night. Only their second win of the 2011 season vs Colorado Rapids, at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO. The 1-nil, clean-sheet road victory against the 2010 defending MLS Cup Champions was not the memory it should have been.
A third minute slide tackle from Brian Mullan broke Steve Zakuani’s leg. It was that awful image and sound that stuck in everyone’s memory. Win aside, every Sounders heart-felt numb, and every gut sickeningly hallowed.
Saturday, at CenturyLink Field, Brian Mullan makes his first visit to Seattle since that tackle. There is precedent for how Seattle sports fans respond to moments like Mullan’s return. (see Alex Rodriquez) Seattle fans are never quiet. And we won’t be for Mullan. To expect less, whether in agreement or not would be ignorance. What noise doesn’t replace is that there isn’t one Sounders fan who doesn’t want meaningful closure. A quality match about soccer is much preferred to one about jeering.
Sounders fans are smart. There will be Mullan directed noise tantamount to brining down Jericho’s walls. There will also be the ECS to lead an innovative way to direct the message without it being the match-day storyline.
What started as a routine defensive recovery went horribly wrong.
Possibly feeling he had been wrongfully nudged off the ball by Zakuani, Brian Mullan quickly took after Zakuani who was moving the ball forward along his usual left-wing alley to clear the Sounders defensive end. Mullan slid to ground to clear the ball from Zakuani’s feet.
Red Card to Brian Mullan, for April 22nd, 2011 tackle and injury to Steve Zakuani
Sound familiar? It should. Whenever he’s knocked off the ball, Osvaldo Alonso, similar to Mullan on a per match basis, quickly recovers to rush back, impedes the attacking players progress, makes firm contact, even going to turf in a slide to win the ball back. His efforts, like Mullan’s help win games. Alonso often gets away with a few hard tackles that could be fouls, or yellow, even a few that should be red.
Osvaldo Alonso’s technique is stellar. He was listed by Major League Soccer as part of the best Starting XI performers from last week vs DC United. But no matter your reputation or skill, when you are a tenacious player, a potential risk exists in every match to be your last. And no matter your ball winning skills, you could end another players career.
Brian Mullan, like Alonso has a hard work attitude. Rash, high risk tackles are not a characteristic describing him as a player. What is said about the 12 year veteran, is how his efforts have been valuable in supporting five different MLS clubs in their runs to championships.
Mullan’s actions were deliberate, but no less a part of his approach to every match. After last years match, he said, “It was a tackle I’ve done a hundred times, and I’d probably do it again”. He was unaware of the full extent of Zakuani’s injury when he made that remark.
Zakuani suffered a fracture to his tibia and fibula. He had to undergo multiple surgeries for his leg that did not initially set properly. Additional signs of nerve damage put his career in question.
Nearly a year later, Zakuani has remarkably heeled enough to have seen playing time in recent Sounders reserve matches. His earliest return to the first-team squad would be next month. I’d be surprised if it’s before June. Sigi Schmid has said he doesn’t expect a fully recovered Zakuani until 2013.
Upon further review. Mullan was given a MLS record 10 match suspension and fine.
Major League Soccer has built a reputation as a league tolerating more tough tackles than most other top international football leagues. To stop the bleeding, MLS began making post-match reviews for hard challenges. Shalrie Joseph of New England committed a foul last weekend. After a review of his challenge by MLS officials, he was retroactively suspended for this weekend’s match.
Overturning a referees decision is not a good business for any sport. A far worse sports business are injuries like what Zakuani suffered. FIFA has recently supported England’s Premier League governing body the FA, to make similar post match reviews. MLS appears to be taking a proactive lead in helping players to learn to cut down on risky challenges.
It’s always exciting to see Alonso turn around, track a player down and win the ball back. But in the future, maybe disrupting possession is safer and smarter, even more sporting than the risk in winning possession. No fouls and no injuries for that. Timing a successful tackle appears to be a skill that needs further review.
Zakuani and Mullan have talked. Both seem to have taken the high road of sportsmanship. After Mullan’s 10 game suspension, and before his first match back vs Columbus he received a text message, “There are no hard feelings. Don’t let this tackle affect the way you play the game. Good luck!”
Yet, an unsatisfactory feeling lingers. Mullan has not apologized publicly. It appears he wont speak about last years incident until after this years match. Part of me understands emotional and psychological reasons for Mullan not addressing the issue in a more public forum. Yet, I can’t help think about the horrific sight and sound of the tackle. It would be welcome by anyone who witnessed that incident to gain some closure by the warm address of a 12 year MLS veteran.
Here is the Sports Illustrated article by Grant Wahl. Including interviews with Steve Zakuani and Brian Mullan:
Grant Wahl > Planet Futbol
Zakuani on the road to recovery
© 2012 Sales on Sounders by Ryan J Sales
