In the midst of D.C. United's 4-1 loss to the LA Galaxy Sunday night, Steve Goff reported that midfielder Patrick Nyarko left at halftime due a possible concussion. Goff's update from training today reinforces this:
D.C. United's Patrick Nyarko missed training, undergoing concussion protocol after leaving opener at halftime #mls
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) March 9, 2025
From an on-field perspective, this would presumably mean that Lamar Neagle will move to the midfield after starting as a forward (and scoring) Sunday. This would also hint that Fabian Espindola, who replaced Nyarko at the half, would likely return to the starting XI, with Miguel Aguilar or Rob Vincent also possibilities.
More concerning though, is the injury Nyarko is dealing with. He has suffered concussions in in 2008 rookie season and another in 2010, and another still in 2013 when D.C. defeated the Chicago Fire in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals. He had another during a 2011 reserve match.
Admittedly, few of us outside RFK know what the diagnosis is, to say nothing of its severity. But we also know that head injuries are nothing to quarrel with, and for a team that saw yet another player (Davy Arnaud) retire less than a week ago because of a concussion of his own, we presume that they will exercise all precautions necessary. More importantly, given Nyarko's history, we all hope his recovery is as complete as possible regardless of whether or not he can play.
