RENTON — The worst fears around Raúl Ruidíaz’s injury have been avoided, an MRI confirmed, but the forward will still likely miss at least 2-3 weeks while he recovers from the tackle that forced him out of Friday’s game.
Sounders Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said Ruidíaz hurt his MCL, which apparently still allows him to run in a straight line relatively pain free. The problem is anytime he tries to turn his leg, even for something as simple as a pass.
“He’s going to tell you he’s ready for Sunday; he’s not,” Schmetzer said following Tuesday’s training session. “It will take him awhile. But it’s not as serious as it could have been. It was a pretty reckless tackle.”
Hassani Dotson, whose tackle caused Ruidíaz’s injury, was suspended an additional game on top of the red-card suspension. That mean’s he’ll miss tonight’s game against Necaxa as well as his next Leagues Cup match, whether that’s in the following round or in a subsequent season.
Andrew Thomas earns another start
Fresh off a shutout in his Leagues Cup debut, Andrew Thomas will get another start when the Sounders face Necaxa on Sunday. Thomas made four saves in the match, including one on a breakaway and another that he just tipped over the crossbar.
“I think we’ll have a positive result,” Schmetzer said when asked if there’s a planned goalkeeper rotation. “But as games pile up, we’ll see.”
Leagues Cup quirks
Unless Minnesota United beats Necaxa by multiple goals tonight, the Sounders’ place in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 will be secured before they play their group stage finale. In most tournaments, seeding would still be on the line. In this case, the stakes are less clear.
While winning the group or finishing second will determine where the Sounders are placed in the bracket, whether or not they host the game will be determined by who they play. If the Sounders are matched up against the LA Galaxy or San Jose Earthquakes, the Round of 32 match will be played at Lumen Field. If the Sounders are matched against Chivas, the game will be somewhere in California. The potential Round of 16 matchup is similar. If the Sounders play Monterrey, that game would be in Texas. But if it’s anyone else, it would be at Lumen Field thanks to the Sounders finishing ahead of the other potential MLS opponents in the 2023 Supporters’ Shield standings, and they would automatically host any of the other Liga MX teams.
Cody Baker undergoes surgery
Cody Baker recently had surgery on his right wrist to repair a lingering injury. He will likely miss the next three weeks, but will be able to be a limited participant in training.
