Another setback for Swanson
Ben Swanson shrugged Saturday in a tunnel leading to the field at Mapfre Stadium, crutches under his armpits, a walking boot covering his left foot.
Everyone’s path is different, Swanson said in response to a question about his career trajectory, and for the foreseeable future, the 19-year-old midfielder's path has taken a detour. Swanson was placed on the seasonending injury list last July after undergoing right shoulder surgery and worked his way through almost six months of rehab.
His 2017 season had hardly started when Swanson got more disappointing news.
The Grove City native and homegrown player suffered an ankle injury April 8 with Crew SC’s United Soccer League affiliate, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The injury, suffered when the Charleston Battery’s Romario Williams connected with Swanson’s ankle, will require surgery this week, Swanson said. His recovery timetable depends on how rehab goes, he said.
“This just adds to your experience and you know hopefully it can benefit you, motivate you,” Swanson said. “Everyone’s career will face a rough patch and this is how you deal with it.”
Swanson said he felt Williams’ studs go into his ankle after the “rough tackle” and knew it wasn’t good, but he was not sure of the severity. He called the injury, 7:30 p.m. Saturday Ch. 53, Spectrum Sports WWCD-FM (102.5), WVKO-FM (103.1) which occurred in his third USL game of the season, “frustrating,” as it comes after Swanson began to work his way into Pittsburgh’s starting 11.
“I’m only 19 right now. You look at guys that are just starting their career that are a little bit older,” Swanson said. “It still doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s tough and it’s frustrating. You want to be playing, you want to be out there.”
Swanson signed with the Crew as a homegrown player in October 2014 as a 17-year-old. He made his Major League Soccer debut in a substitute appearance in a 3-2 loss at Philadelphia last June. It remains his lone MLS appearance.
Swanson said he will rehab his ankle in Columbus, where Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said he will continue to include Swanson as part of the group.
Columbus is where Swanson hopes to play full time in the near future. For now, it’s where he will reset his recovery clock.
“I worked hard this offseason to get fit and then go there and get some playing time,” Swanson said. “Having the injury, it’s definitely frustrating, but I’m just focused on rehab now and then getting back to 100 percent.”