Through the first 15 minutes, Pedro de la Vega seemed to be poised for yet another strong performance in what has become a string of them. In the midst of a 12-game stretch in which he had scored six goals and dished out two assists (1.05 goals+assists per 90), de la Vega had completed his first six passes, attempted two dribbles and generally looked sharp.
Then, disaster struck.
Attempting to fight off a tackle in the area of the field where temporary sod had been laid on top of what is normally the Citi Field infield, de la Vega’s knee appeared to buckle. He immediately went down in obvious pain. After receiving treatment for several minutes, he was eventually taken off the pitch in a cart.
Although no formal prognosis for his recovery has not yet been given, his teammates immediately understood the weight of the situation.
“It was dead quiet when we came into the locker room,” Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák said. “It’s really sad. You could see something serious had happened. Everyone is gutted for him. It’s a sad moment for him, for us, he’s one of the nicest guys on the team.”
What makes it even tougher is that this is the latest in a long line of injuries that have limited de la Vega’s availability ever since he first signed in the 2024 offseason. Most recently, he’s been dealing with knee tendinitis that had forced him to miss two matches. But he had seemingly gotten to a point where he was able to manage that discomfort and had clearly gained the trust of Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer.
“Pedro was playing extremely well,” Schmetzer said. “There’s nothing wrong with him coming here, he wants to play. He’s wanted to prove himself to everyone. He’s a great kid. He’d cut off his right arm to help the team. He deserves to be playing when he’s healthy and fit.”
The timetable for his return is impossible to say without a formal diagnosis of the injury. If it's a dislocated knee, de la Vega could be back in 6-8 weeks which would mean he might still play this year. If it's something more serious, he could be out for most of next season.
