Mexico captain Edson Álvarez went down with a potentially serious injury during his side’s Copa América opener against Jamaica on Saturday.
With the match scoreless, Álvarez was sprinting back on defense midway through the first half when he fell to the turf without contact from any player.
The West Ham midfielder had to be helped off the field and couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he exited. He was replaced by Luis Romo in the 30th minute.
Álvarez was in tears as he left the field, clearly emotional as his status for the rest of the Copa América appears to be in serious doubt.
Mexico went on to win the game 1-0 thanks to a second-half strike from Gerardo Arteaga.
For a Mexico team in one of its worst stretches in some time, losing a player like Álvarez is a killer blow.
The 26-year-old is one of Mexico’s few players to feature regularly at Europe’s highest levels. Álvarez just completed his first Premier League season, and has recently been linked with a move to Manchester United.
“He’s extremely important. He’s a leader, he understands the game well. He’s important on the pitch and in the locker room as well. You listen to him talk, he has a way with words and when he speaks you listen. This was a tough blow for all of us.”
Following Saturday’s game, El Tri will face Venezuela on Wednesday and Ecuador on June 30 to close out group play.
Playing surface concerns grow
Álvarez’s non-contact injury will highlight a growing concern at this tournament: quickly installed real grass laid over artificial turf at several stadiums — including NRG Stadium in Houston, where the injury occurred.
Argentina and Canada players complained about a similar surface at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the tournament opener, with Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez calling the pitch a “disaster.”
In an interview with The Athletic, U.S. national team midfielder Weston McKennie aired out his own complaints.
“You’re playing on a football field, with laid grass that’s all patchy and it breaks up every step you take. It’s frustrating,” he said.
“If you look at the Euros, they’re all playing on great fields, great grass, football-specific stadiums, soccer-specific stadiums, and you see the quality of the football.
“You can play a 1-2 without wondering if the ball is gonna bounce up before you hit it. You can pass the ball back to the keeper not being afraid that it’s going to bounce over his foot. You see a different type of soccer.”
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