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Sounders forward Will Bruin to miss the rest of the MLS season with a torn ACL

Seattle Sounders defender Will Bruin signs autographs after an MLS soccer match against Toronto FC, Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Seattle. The Sounders won 3-2. Bruin had two goals in the match. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren / AP)
By Jayda Evans Seattle Times

TUKWILA, Wash. – Sounders forward Will Bruin is out for the remainder of the MLS season with a torn right ACL.

Bruin suffered the injury during practice Tuesday at the club’s Starfire Sports training facility. He needed medical attention on the field and was carted off for further examination, which confirmed the tear.

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer shared the news with media Thursday, saying Bruin’s surgery likely won’t be until July to allow time for the swelling in the knee to decrease.

“He is effectively done,” Schmetzer said. “He’s in good spirits, as good as he can get. They (teammates) are all bummed. It was a blow because he was well-liked, well-respected in the locker room. But stuff happens. We’ve got to forge on, keep going. We’ll miss him.”

This is the second injury Bruin, a nine-year MLS veteran, has suffered this season. He missed three matches in April because of a strained hamstring.

Bruin has played 428 minutes for the Sounders this season. He started four times, scoring twice in a win against Toronto when he replaced Raul Ruidiaz in the lineup when he had a heel injury.

In terms of popularity on the Sounders roster, Bruin’s departure was emotionally similar to losing Chad Marshall in May. The defender was forced to retire due to rapid degeneration in his knee.

Bruin, who is a new father, was at Starfire on Thursday to talk with the team, though he did not speak with media.

“It’s always team-first,” Schmetzer said. “Yes, it’s a big blow. Yes, they were well-liked. But the group, if they stick together, is always stronger than one or two individuals. … Both Will and Chad haven’t left the (Seattle) area, so if they need a Chad fix or hug, they can go find him and get that fix.”

MLS is on a two-week break for international competitions. But because of the success of Sounders players with their respective national teams in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Copa America, the club will only have Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez as a traditional forward when it resumes league play.

Seattle (7-4-5) hosts Vancouver (4-6-6) at CenturyLink Field on June 29.

First-choice forwards Ruidiaz (Peru) and Jordan Morris (U.S.) are competing with their national teams. On Saturday, the U.S. plays its second Gold Cup match while Peru plays its third in Copa America. The quarterfinals for both tournaments begin next week and the championship games are slated for July 7.

“There are other options to play without a true center-forward,” Schmetzer said of tactics while limited up top. “There’s plenty of things that we can come up with. We’ll work on those as it gets closer to (facing) Vancouver.”