The news late Monday that Anthony Wallace has torn his Achilles and will miss 6-9 months for the Colorado Rapids is certainly unfortunate stuff. Wallace was a contender for starting left back at DSG Park under new manager Oscar Pareja.
And it’s highly ironic stuff, too, seeing that valuable Rapids forward Conor Casey is just now getting back from the very same injury, suffered last year in Seattle.
But this is hardly the end of the world for Pareja, as he endeavors to remake Colorado into a team that’s just a little easier on the eyes than under previous boss Gary Smith. (Smith’s teams were successful, but something less than aesthetically pleasing in style.)
Wallace did start 15 games at left back since arrival via trade from Dallas late in 2010. But he was probably the weakest link along an otherwise tidy back line. For whatever reason, Wallace seemed to plateau a few years ago, after strong performances in the FIFA under-20 World Cup in 2007 showed so much promise. There’s a reason he made just 11 starts in almost four seasons previously with FC Dallas.
This year Wallace was being pushed hard in Colorado by Hunter Freeman, an off-season acquisition from Houston. Freeman is better suited for the right back spot ... and there you have it. He was set to lap the naturally left-footed Wallace anyway.
Good luck to Wallace, as he begins the toil of recovery from a truly devastating injury. But for the Rapids, the damage is fairly well contained.