Thorrington leaves mystery ailment in past
After triumphant return in Conference Semifinal Series, Fire midfielder eyes more
Related
- John Thorrington player profile
- Thorrington scores vs. NE
Watch
- Thorrington on return
Watch
- Full MLS Cup Playoffs coverage
What injury, you ask? Good question.
It was not related to Thorrington's back, which has caused him to miss games on more than one occasion over his MLS career. It was, instead, something else.
Since August 7, his ailment had been variously diagnosed as a groin strain, a sartorius strain, a quadriceps strain, a right groin strain and finally athletic pubalgia, which is another term for a sports hernia.
"Unfortunately, it is not always an exact science," Thorrington said Tuesday after the Fire's first workout in anticipation of the Eastern Conference Championship against Real Salt Lake. "The different results from the MRIs were open to interpretation, and the doctors did the best to diagnose what they saw. But my symptoms did change, and that was the variable that made it difficult to pinpoint the injury.
"If it was just a quad strain or a groin strain, I would have been back sooner," Thorrington said. "Thankfully, I am back now."
Thorrington played against D.C. United on Aug. 29 (after the first report of a groin strain), but then missed the final six regular season games, and had to watch from the sidelines as the Fire waited until the final game of the season to secure their playoff spot.
As he worked to rehabilitate himself from the injury, Thorrington had to wonder if he would get back in time to contribute to the end of the season.
"That certainly crossed my mind," Thorrington said. "I'm an optimistic person, but the way things were going, and with my symptoms, I had to wonder. If it weren't for the efforts of my teammates getting us into the playoffs, getting enough points over the last few games I missed, I wouldn't have been back in time."
Thorrington played in only 19 games this regular season. He missed two games with a recurring back injury in June and missed the entire SuperLiga competition. He also missed two games for suspension for red cards, one a straight sending off (in the April 5 game against New York) and one where he received a second caution (against Seattle July 25).
Then came the latest injury, whatever it was, that kept him out of action for most of two months.
"I certainly was frustrated and angry," Thorrington said. "The hardest part was not knowing exactly what it was. I know it was frustrating the medical staff. They went above and beyond to make sure I got the right treatment and right tests."
So Thorrington played at full speed on Saturday, and scored in the first half by being in the right place on the attack and getting his foot on a cross at the far post.
Then, when the game was over, he reassessed his physical well-being to make sure he would be available for the conference title game on Saturday.
"You do become hypervigilant about any sort of symptom that might creep in," Thorrington said. "That is human nature, and I certainly do that. But I was pleased how I felt during the game and how I came out of it."
Now Thorrington figures to be a part of the Fire's attack against RSL Saturday, with the goal of winning that game to get the Fire to the MLS Cup for the first time since 2003.
"In my mind, the high from contributing Saturday and winning makes all those frustrating times bearable," Thorrington said. "The good times outweigh the bad when you can contribute in a big game like Saturday."
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
