Injury fallout

My espn review of the US U20 team, which opened their training camp in New York today, mentioned that Quavas Kirk won't be at the U20 World Cup due to injury.

To some, that might seem a strange statement, given that Kirk went 90 minutes for the Galaxy this weekend versus Real Salt Lake, playing, ironically, his U20 position, right back.

Yet when Rongen called Kirk last week to let him know in advance of the roster release that Kirk hadn't made the squad, he specifically cited Kirk's long layoff due to injury as the reason why. At the time, Kirk still hadn't returned from the foot injury to play for the Galaxy. Unsure as to whether Kirk could recover his form in time and be fully healthy, Rongen left him off the roster.

It just made for an awkward distraction in the article to explain all that.

Also, a little tidbit that didn't make the espn piece - I asked Kirk who he thought was the heart, the unsung hero of the U20 team and he didn't hesitate to answer.

“Little Tony Beltran, he’s definitely a fighter,” Kirk said. “He works really hard in training, and in the games he always tries his hardest. He’s obviously the fitness king, and he beats everybody in all the fitness tests. He’s a really tough player. Once he gets in there, he’s going to prove he can play.”