What are “crosses” anyway? Injury that knocked out three players of the Russian national team
One of the main stabilizers of the knee joint is the anterior cruciate ligament, there is also the posterior. The front prevents the forward movement of the lower leg under the femur, the back – in the opposite direction. Injuries can be different – both stretching and partial or full tears. As doctors say, the knee is the largest and most complex joint in humans. And the anterior cruciate is damaged much more often than the back.
Are you injured by a blow?
Basically, no. It used to be that such a trauma was triggered by the strongest blow to the knee. But when it began to be studied in more depth, it turned out that even one awkward movement or a sharp turn was enough. You can get it when landing or with a stand on the legs with a sharp twisting of the knee. However, a powerful blow to the knee, too, is enough.
How to recognize this injury immediately?
Cotton, click, crash – so the players characterize the very first feeling. After this comes severe pain, straighten the leg is almost impossible. Swelling of the knee in many cases occurs immediately. The diagnosis requires not only an MRI, but a complete comprehensive examination.
Why were there less such injuries before?
In the 90s, they rarely wrote about “crosses,” and even in the early 2000s, few football players received such an injury. The reason is obvious – the load in world sports has greatly increased. Visually comparing the football of the past and the present, you can see how much speed has increased. Accordingly, the athletes are also heavier. The knee joints in this case are among the first to suffer.
Is this injury the end of a career?
The recovery period is from six months, then everything depends on the recovery. First of all, psychologically – after the recovery, the players are very afraid of relapse and intuitively try not to load the previously injured knee once more. But even if one succeeds in overcoming oneself, it is very difficult to get out of one’s previous level. There are many examples when the injury of “crosses” broke a career for a football player. One of the brightest is a very talented German, Sebastian Deisler, to whom damage has also broken his psyche. Instead of a mountain of cups and medals – the completion of a career in 27 years due to depression.
Are there any positive cases?
Yes, and some players after such an injury began to play even better. And here is an example – Alessandro Del Piero, who said openly: “Before the injury, I played for the most part instinctively, but after it – I learned how to control instincts. There is more balance in my game. ” Del Piero was injured at 24, and then returned and continued to win with Juventus. And then also became a world champion. Another example is Ruud van Nistelroy, who transferred to “MJ” from “PSV”, having already healed this injury, and chopped a hundred and fifty heads in the mankunians for five seasons.
The injury of the “crosses” did not prevent Alan Shearer from remaining a super bombardor, to pursue a magnificent career for Philip Lama, to win the Sami Khedira World Championship, to arrange a fantastic 2002 World Cup Ronaldo. But Roberto Baggio fell down at 34, but did not break, he recovered and continued to score, although terrible problems with his knees had haunted him from his youth.
What is the epidemic of “Spartacus”?
Parshivlyuk, Romulo, Gatagov, Rebrov, Kozlov, Ozbiliz, Zobnin, Timofeev, Tigiev, Jikia – they all dropped out with this injury. Ten cases in six years. How further the career will develop in the last four – we do not yet know, but from the first six only Rebrov won something. Parshivlyuk was seen by Anyukov’s mate in the national team, Romulo came to Spartak and scored Barcelona at the Camp Nou, Ozbiliz was a good player by the standards of the RFPL, hoping for Gatagov and Kozlov. And then the phrase “if it were not for this injury, then …” – will emerge more than once in their interviews. At least, with Parshivlyuk and Romulo, things could have turned out quite differently.
Before the 2018 World Cup, the national team has already lost three absolutely major players. What to do now is an interesting and creepy question. Without Jikia and Vasin, as well as those who completed their careers in the Berezutsky team, where to recruit three leveled football players to the center of defense at once?
As for Kokorin, Smolov would probably have been selected as the first number in the attack, but this season as a whole was very successful for Kokorin, and you can also use it together with Smolov (it would be interesting to see, say, 5 3-2), or as one of the wingers (although there it looks worse than the tip). But now Kokorin’s chances of playing at the 2018 World Cup are very small.