Sports hernia informs, ends Accam’s dour debut season

CHESTER >> It’s been a nightmare first season for David Accam in Philadelphia. Only Saturday was the full extent really hinted at.

Accam this week underwent sports hernia surgery, his second such operation in a year, effectively ending his debut campaign with the Union.

Accam was acquired from Chicago for more than $1 million in allocation money on draft day in January, but he struggled mightily. He scored just one goal in 23 games (13 starts), albeit a stoppage-time game-winner against his former club in July.

After career-highs of 14 goals and eight assists last season, Accam lacked his usual explosiveness. Lingering effects from a hernia would be a reasonable culprit.

“He’s obviously pushed through and tried to give us everything he could,” manager Jim Curtin said Wednesday. “And it just reached the point where the best option for both sides was to go in and clean it up and have it be a situation where we’re proactive, get it cleaned up, get it back to 100 percent and hope everything can move forward.”

Curtin was reticent to speculate how much it affected Accam. But having seen his brother, Jeff, have his career ended by recurrent sports hernias, Curtin did convey the psychological effect of the injury and the reluctance a player can have to push too hard for fear of another injury.

The surgery carries an eight-week recovery, per a Union statement, which would put Accam in position to be healed for next preseason.