SAN JOSE, Calif. – In his first MLS season, San Jose Earthquakes attacker Yannick Djalo has lived up to his reputation – perhaps a little too much for the Quakes’ liking.
Djalo, who arrived on loan from Benfica over the winter, finally began to establish himself after the World Cup break, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists in a two-match winning streak that bridged the end of July and the beginning of August.
But Djalo suffered a right quad strain in the second game of that set, a 1-0 win against Seattle on Aug. 2 in which he tallied the game-winner. And the 28-year-old, who came to San Jose with a checkered injury history, hasn’t played since then, missing nine matches. San Jose has gone 0-4-5 during that seven-week stretch to fall out of serious playoff contention.
All told, Djalo has played just 785 out of a possible 2520 league minutes for the Quakes this year. And as San Jose (6-12-10) prepare for a last stand this weekend against fellow winless-in-nine foes Colorado (9 pm ET; MLS Live), Djalo remains in limbo. Head coach Mark Watson’s initial reaction Wednesday to being asked about Djalo’s current injury – which was initially thought to require a recovery of one to four weeks – was a deep, heavy sigh.
“He obviously has issues,” Watson said. “His latest one is something we thought and hoped was going to be fairly short-term, but it’s been dragging on far too long. He’s had moments where he’s come close and just can’t get over the hump. I’d say it’s a day-to-day thing. He’s definitely closer than where he was a couple of weeks ago, but at this point, it comes down to how he responds to the stuff he’s doing daily.”
Djalo’s injury has been just one of many to strike the Quakes’ attack.
Forward Steven Lenhart missed several weeks after knee surgery, and recently added Designated Player Matias Perez Garcia also needed a procedure after just two games with the club.
But Djalo’s skillset – namely his speed and ability to get by defenders in one-on-one situations – has proven hard for the Quakes to replace in a like-for-like manner. There simply isn’t another player with that kind of predatory quickness on the Quakes’ roster.
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“You do your work as best as possible,” Watson said in defending the Quakes’ decision to depend on Djalo. “Obviously, he had some injuries before, but he also had a bunch of great runs of games. There’s a certain element of risk with any player. With Matias, we weren’t aware of any major injuries [in his past], and he got hurt in the second game he played for us.
“It’s been frustrating because [Djalo] is a very influential player for us. Having him out of the team has been difficult for us. He just gives us that little bit of quality, that little bit of pace. And that’s something this team needs.”
A return from Djalo before the end of this season could be important, even if only to show the club one final time what a difference he can make. Quakes president David Kaval told MLSsoccer.com Wednesday that conversations between Benfica and San Jose “are ongoing and probably will stretch into the offseason, in terms of determining what role [Djalo] has here with the club.”
In the meantime, Watson can only wait and see.
“Ultimately, it’s about availability,” Watson said “And it’s no fault of Yannick’s. You genuinely feel bad for him. You want him on the field. He loves playing, and the team really benefits when he’s on the field. So it’s been really frustrating.”
