Hope #2: That Graham Zusi is fully healthy.
Zusi has been in and out of the lineup all season making just 18 starts and logging only 1651 minutes, both of which are his lowest since 2011. The former Maryland Terrapin has been battling a calf strain for the past two months. Injuries are nothing new to Zusi-he missed a large portion of Sporting’s 2015 campaign with a stress fracture in his right foot. Although he has been mostly healthy this season this latest nagging injury has Sporting supporters wondering if he can ever get back to his 2013 form where he scored six goals and notched eight assists.
The good news for supporters is that he seems to be fully healed from the calf strain issue. In their 2-0 win on Sunday he looked like the Zusi of old, making long, deep runs down the flank and cranking out crosses to Dwyer. Although the injuries have taken a bit of his speed his accuracy in laying in crosses has not depreciated at all, something that Vermes has to be very happy about.
He is also still very capable of getting in on the goal-scoring fun, as evidenced by his goal on Sunday. In particular to note on this chance is his relationship with Feilhaber. The two have shown throughout the years that they can open up defenses on the counter-attack with relative ease. If they can create chances like the one on Sunday against the Sounders they may get out of the knockout round for the first time in three seasons.