VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC's joy at securing their first win of the new season at Chicago on Saturday was slightly tempered by the loss of veteran winger Mauro Rosales to a first-half ankle injury.
Rosales went down after a hard tackle from the Fire's Lovel Palmer just before the break and 'Caps' coach Carl Robinson's initial fears have been confirmed: The Argentine will miss this Saturday's game at Orlando (4:30 p.m. PT; TSN1 and TSN 1410) and likely won't be back in the "near future."
"He’s missing this weekend, so that’s not a good sign for us because he’s been very influential for us, on and off the field," Robinson told reporters at training. "It was a tough tackle.... [Rosales] has gone for a scan but he definitely won’t be back in the near future. It’s no break. I think it’s a sprain, but he’s very fortunate if it is a sprain because the followthrough could have been very serious."
As big a blow as the loss of Rosales is, the silver lining for Robinson is the form of the man he has waiting in the wings.
Nicolas Mezquida had a strong preseason and was already pushing hard for a place in the starting 11.
The Uruguayan midfielder came on for Rosales at the weekend and played an influential role in securing the road victory for Vancouver. Mezquida linked up well with his countryman, Octavio Rivero, and carved out a couple of chances of his own, including what would have been a strong penalty claim had he gone down under a challenge in the box.
"He was the guy who covered the most distance in the second half for us and he gave us that extra incentive in our front-foot football on Saturday," said Robinson, adding that Kianz Froese, Erik Hurtado and Darren Mattocks are also options to slot in with Rosales out.
Mezquida made 14 appearances during his first season in MLS last year, but only four of them were starts. The midfielder has had to be patient and bide his time, and Robinson cites his attitude and work ethic as a "prime example" of what he expects from players who are not currently starting.
Mezquida's prospects for establishing that starting role this season could very well hinge on Rivero. The pair have shown a great understanding and chemistry together during the preseason and that was very evident again against the Fire. It's not surprising, as the pair have previously played youth soccer together and both represented Uruguay at Under-17 level.
"The relationship is good because he understands me and I understand him," Mezquida said of his chemistry with Rivero. "We had the same coach and have been training together for a long time before. I know how he plays and I know how to make the shot easy for him. I need to take advantage of these moments."
"Every day I train to try and be better. I was happy with the last game. I am ready for when the team needs me."
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