U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden tears ACL in Gold Cup

U.S. midfielder Stuart Holden tears ACL in Gold Cup

After winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup and seeing veteran Landon Donovan reassert his star power on the pitch, U.S. Soccer seemingly was in high spirits until some tough injury news was delivered today.


U.S. Men's National Team midfielder Stuart Holden was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee following an MRI evaluation Monday in Chicago.

Holden suffered the injury in the 18th minute of the USA's 1-0 win against Panama in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. He had recently returned to the National Team, making his first appearance in more than two years when he entered as a substitute on May 29 against Belgium.

Holden plans to consult with the medical teams of U.S. Soccer and Bolton Wanderers to formulate a treatment plan.

"We are absolutely devastated for Stuart," said U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann. "He is such a great part of our team on the field and the locker room. He worked tremendously hard to recover from previous injuries and had really come back into form. He was fully prepared to head back to Bolton and challenge for a starting spot. Now he will have our full support as he goes down this road again, and we will be with him every step of the way."

Klinsmann has instilled a competitive environment in the program, requiring every potential World Cup team member, including Donovan, to prove his worth to the team.

With no roster spots guaranteed, Holden's injury and its lengthy recovery time, will greatly hinder his ability to make the team.