SAN JOSE, Calif. – There was a welcome sight at San Jose Earthquakes training this week: Designated Player Innocent was on the pitch for the first time since undergoing surgery in May to repair a torn knee meniscus.
The 25-year-old Swiss international was in flat-soled shoes doing running and rehabilitation work on the sidelines as the Quakes prepared for a crucial Friday night showdown against the Colorado Rapids (11 pm ET; UniMas).
While it was an important milestone for Innocent’s recovery, it paled in comparison to another painful absence for the Quakes. Already having to make do without suspended rookie Fatai Alashe, who claimed a starting spot at holding midfield early on this season, San Jose might not have recently acquired Panamanian international Anibal Godoy in uniform for Friday’s potential make-or-break game.
The Quakes inked Godoy to a 2 1/2-year contract with an eye on the future, but the hope was that his steadying presence in the middle of the pitch would free up more attackers on a team that ranks 18th in goals per game at 1.05.
Godoy, whose signing was announced last week, had not arrived in San Jose by Thursday’s final training session; a team spokesman said there was no update as of noon on Friday. He might still suit up even if he arrives in San Jose on game day; Simon Dawkins debuted for the Quakes as a substitute in 2011 without the benefit of practice.
“As far as Godoy goes, we were hoping to have him here earlier, and he’s not here,” Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear told MLSsoccer.com this week.
Making an appearance Friday “all depends on how he feels. We want to get him acclimated as quickly as possible. But it’s hard to talk when you don’t know when he’s arriving,” Kinnear added.
So if the Quakes (7-10-5) are going to arrest a six-game winless skid in league play and stop a Rapids (5-8-9) team that is bidding to get out of last place in the West for the first time since March, they’ll likely do it with JJ Koval or Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi starting as the shield of a backline that has given up 13 goals and recorded just one clean sheet since San Jose’s last victory.
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“The red card’s a red card,” Kinnear said of Alashe’s suspension. “I don’t think that’s bad luck [in terms of timing], I just think that’s the way the referee saw it, and I’m not going to disagree with him.”
On the positive side, Kinnear and the Quakes welcomed back midfielder Matias Perez Garcia and center back Clarence Goodson – critical contributors who both missed San Jose’s 2-1 loss in Houston last weekend. Barring a late setback, both players should be available for selection.
“I try to go day-by-day, especially with some guys,” Kinnear said. “They may feel great the one day, and then you never know.”
