D.C. United rookie forward Blake Brettschneider suffered a concussion — plus a bruised cheekbone, cuts on the underside of his top lip and a chipped tooth — after being kicked byNew York defender Jan Gunnar Solli. Brettschneider joins three other teammates sidelined with concussions — Brandon Barklage, Devon McTavishand Santino Quaranta. In recent years, regular starters Alecko Eskandarian, Bryan Namoff and Josh Gros were forced into earlyretirement from soccer because of head injuries, reports Steven Goff.
Brettschneider was injured shortly after entering the game in the 87th minute.Play stopped, treatment was administered and he underwent a series of standard tests given to players suspected of suffering a concussion. “He was conscious and aware, answered all my questions,had cognitive awareness,” head trainer Brian Goodstein said. “He passed all the tests. I wouldn’t have put him back on the field if he hadn’t.”
Brettschneider fell to the turf at the final whistle and didn’t remember some of the things that he’d done in the game, a 1-0 D.C. United win on a 61st-minute Dwayne DeRosario goal.
Asked whether, in retrospect, he should have come out of the game, Brettschneider said, “It’s a tough call to make. The tests we did on the field right after ithappened, they said I was responsive and answered all the questions and my speech was clear. I probably should’ve come out — now that I realize not remembering having played — but atthe time I could see why I probably looked OK to send me back on.”