As the rest of the squad had enjoyed a day off on Monday, Toronto FC defender Ty Harden was at BMO Field as he continues to recover from injury. Harden sustained a deep cut to the leg in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship opener against Montreal Impact last week. Harden was taken to hospital and needed 22 stitches after a clash with the Impact goalkeeper in the first half.
“When we scored our first goal, the goalkeeper’s studs went into my shin,” Harden explains. “I actually didn’t notice it right away. I limped all the way back to halfway and I could feel some pain, but when I looked down I could see a big cut. I went into a second or two of shock because the cut was very deep, but my adrenalin was going so it didn’t hurt as much as you would think.”
“At the moment, it is difficult to walk around on it. I just come into the stadium to get some treatment, clean the wound and change the bandages. Whenever I am walking around it hurts so I have to go home and keep my leg up all day.”
“I am hoping to be back in training in two or three weeks and then after that I will have to see how it feels before I can put a time on returning to games.”
With seven matches in the month of May, Harden is disappointed to be forced to sit out one of the busiest periods of the season. “It is frustrating because there is a busy month coming up with a lot of games. I feel like I have played o.k. when I have been in the team and it was going to be a good chance to prove myself and get back into the starting line-up.”
“For the whole squad the season has been a learning experience because of all of the new faces coming into the team, but I think everyone is getting used to it now. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I will be able to contribute on the pitch again.”
Harden was finally credited for the goal on which he suffered the injury. Dwayne De Rosario was initially awarded the opening strike in Toronto's 2-0 win, but the Canadian Soccer Association has reviewed the play and decided Harden was the goal scorer.
Statement from CSA:
A correction has been made to the record of the first goal scored on Match Day One of the 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship. The Toronto FC goal, scored in the 12th minute of the 28 April match, was in fact scored by Ty Harden, not Dwayne De Rosario
