Danny Koevermans Out For Season With Torn ACL

When Danny Koevermans crumpled to the turf in Toronto FC's 1-0 win over the New England Revolution, it looked like he had suffered a serious injury. It was a dreaded non-contact injury and it bit Koevermans. A Monday MRI revealed that the Dutchman tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.

Koevermans will undergo surgery to repair the tear in his left knee and is not expected to return for at least six months and maybe not for nine months. There is also speculation that the 33-year-old may retire rather than try to come back from the injury.

Making things worse for Toronto is that Koevermans has been their best player in their recent turnaround. He has scored nine times this season after scoring 10 times last year for the Reds. His hold up play has also been excellent and he's been a part of many Toronto goals, even when his name didn't show up on the scoresheet. To lose Koevermans now just about rules out any chance of the Reds completing their turnaround and making a run at a playoff spot.

Because Koevermans' injury was a non-contact injury and came on turf, people will question how much the artificial surface at Gillette Stadium had to do with his injury. Frankly, it doesn't matter whether or not the turf caused the injury. There is a perception that turf increases the likelihood of injuries, especially among European teams and players, and this will not help things.