Toronto FC's 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake last Saturday represented an important milestone for goalkeeper Greg Sutton. It was his first clean sheet since May 16, 2007 against Houston, and in essence, the clean sheet equalled a clean bill of health for the returning 'keeper.
No athlete relishes a long rehabilitation, but for Sutton, the process was particularly difficult. The biggest challenge in dealing with the injury that ended Sutton's 2007 season wasn't running on a tender knee joint or lifting weights to test a sore shoulder. It was simply trying to get through a day without a splitting headache.
Sutton's first season as a starting MLS goalkeeper came to an abrupt halt last June when he suffered a serious concussion. While training for the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the Canadian national team, Sutton took a close-range shot to the face that knocked him down. The back of Sutton's head hit the goalpost and began six months of misery for the TFC 'keeper.
"It was very tough," Sutton said. "It was something I don't envy on anybody. It's the kind of injury that's just based on feeling. There's no real diagnosis for doctors -- they have the post-concussion tests that are done during the season if it happens, and you go through that series of tests and then decide how long you need to sit out for. The lack of headaches is a good sign, and the feeling of normalcy is what you're looking for."
It was the third concussion that Sutton said he has suffered, and by far the most severe. The pain was such that Sutton could barely keep his eyes open during yet another splitting headache. After a few months of waiting and testing, the decision was finally made to shut the goalkeeper down rather than risk further damage. Sutton's dream season of starting in MLS for a side in his home country was over after just eight league matches.
After a few months spent completely away from the club in recovery, the headaches started to lesson for Sutton and he began light training in November with Reds goalkeeping coach Eddie Kehoe.
"[Sutton] had to get himself mentally attuned and just enjoying life again," Kehoe said. "He wasn't sleeping well and had neck problems and back problems. When he came back in in November, we worked on his movement, his handling, a lot of non-impact stuff. We didn't just toss him back into diving. We worked on mobility, hand-eye coordination and gently eased him back in."
Diving didn't become a part of training until well into their sessions together, Kehoe said, in part because of the mental obstacles.
"We had to get him trusting his body again," Kehoe said. "It was a big thing for Greg to do a day without a headache, and an even bigger thing for him to go a week without a headache. He had to regain the confidence that he wouldn't get a headache when he made a dive, so there was definitely a fear factor there for him which was understandable given the harrowing six months he had gone through."
Sutton's previous concussions helped him in this regard. While his other two concussions were minor compared to this latest knock, the goalkeeper said that his experience in getting over those injuries helped him play without the fear of suffering another serious blow.
"We took the proper measurements and made sure we weren't going to rush into something," he said. "We took it slow and we did it the right way. It was November when I got back into the net. It was good that I got back early enough that I knew I wouldn't have to go through preseason testing it out, so by the time we entered training I was back to full force and everything was fine."
The next step in preseason, however, was winning his starting job back. Sutton was pushed in training by rookie 'keeper Brian Edwards, and ultimately it was Edwards who was selected to start Toronto's first match of the season against Columbus on March 29.
TFC coach John Carver said that choosing between Sutton and Edwards was "the toughest decision" he faced in putting together his starting XI.
"I went with Brian Edwards because I thought he deserved to start based on what we'd seen in the preseason," Carver said. "In fairness to Greg, he stepped right up to the plate and has been outstanding. I can only commend his attitude and his commitment. It's easy for professional footballers to sulk, especially missing the first game of the season. But he's been a good pro, he's worked very, very hard, and even harder since he was left off the team, which is the sign of a good professional."
Sutton got his chance to start in TFC's second match against D.C. United, which ended up being akin to being dropped in the deep end for a primary swimming lesson. United attacked the beleaguered Reds backline for 18 shots, 11 of which were on goal. Though Sutton allowed four goals, he was the talk of the match for several incredible saves that kept TFC's 4-1 loss from being even more of a blowout.
"There was no mercy, that's for sure," Sutton said. "But you know what, it was probably the best thing for me. It got me back on top of my game and prepared me for what's coming up. The D.C. game gave us an idea of where we were and what we needed to do to fix things."
Sutton has been in net for TFC's last two matches, and things have continued on a positive note for both himself and his team. The 'keeper made four saves in a 3-2 win against Los Angeles on April 13, and then recorded the clean sheet against RSL last Saturday. In that match, Sutton was only tested with three shots on goal, but made several leaps to grab crosses and prevent scoring chances from developing.
The Reds look to win three consecutive games for the first time in team history with a victory against Kansas City on Saturday. For Sutton, he is finally free to concentrate on what is happening on the pitch, and has put his fear of another concussion behind him.
"It's something you can't really predict and something you don't want to think about," Sutton said. "It's something you want to put into the back of your head, no pun intended."
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
