The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Midfielder limited in first game back but shows promise.
Ten months after he sustained a torn ACL in his right knee, Atlanta United midfielder Emerson Hyndman played his first meaning- ful minutes Saturday in the team’s 0-0 draw with Cin- cinnati at Mercedes-benz Stadium. After saying the 10 minutes felt amazing, he’s ready for more.
“It was kind of a short amount of time on the field, but it’s really just about getting out there for me and trying to help the team the best I could,” he said. “It was a weird scenario as well, just trying to score a goal late, but … I think it was huge for me, just a huge confidence boost. To know that I’m actually on the field now and just ready to play minutes.”
Hyndman may get another chance today when the team hosts Chattanooga in a U.S. Open Cup game at Kennesaw State. He has been training hard the past few weeks with the first team. Manager Gonzalo Pineda, frequently asked if Hyndman was ready to return, would always discuss how well Hyndman was doing during training.
Finally, Hyndman got his chance last week. But Pineda on Monday said the team needs to continue to eval- uate Hyndman to decide what’s next in his return.
“Physically what can he produce?” Pineda said. “How is he feeling in that position,
understanding the tactics, but I don’t want him to feel rushed. It was a big, big period of time, a long period of time for him to just come back and just have some minutes here and there.”
Hyndman had four touches in his limited time and com- pleted each of his passes. He
said his knee felt good and consistent soreness is no lon- ger an issue. Hyndman said he and Pineda have discussed how best to use him. Hyndman said he prides himself on his versatility. He is able to play as an attacking midfielder, central midfielder or defensive midfielder.
Though he has scored s o m e im po r tant goals for the club, Hyndman is more of a facilitator than goal scorer, with four goals and six assists in 43 appear- ances. Because Atlanta Unit- ed’s offense hasn’t scored in two games, help is needed. Hyndman’s ability to pivot and turn with the ball, and to work through the thirds of the field, could be valuable, according to Pineda.
“He’s just a good footballer,” Pineda said. “Good foot- ballers can play in any position, basically, in any role.”
A role that Hyndman has been forced to adopt is help- ing teammates who experienced injuries. As Hyndman was working to return, he has watched Ozzie Alonso (ACL), Josef Martinez (arthroscopic surgery), Dylan Castanheira (Achilles) and Brad Guzan (Achilles) suffer serious injuries. “Having gone through it, I try to give them point- ers as much as I can. But it’s tough, for sure,” he said.