Ordega to undergo knee "procedure"
Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:27 pm
For those who don't follow our Falcons, she is one of the four or five best players on the squad .... and arguably one of the top two players.
Washington Spirit lose Francisca Ordega to knee injury
Cali Farquharson is back on the active roster, while the Spirit’s leading goalscorer will miss some time
by Jason Anderson@chestrockwell14 Jul 13, 2017, 9:48pm EDT
The Washington Spirit, already hit by numerous injuries stemming back to last year, lost another key piece today, as striker Francisca Ordega was placed on the 45 day disabled list due to a knee injury suffered in training this week. According to the club, Ordega will have to undergo an arthroscopic procedure to correct a chondral defect in her knee. Losing Ordega - who leads the team in both goals (4) and assists (3) - is a harsh blow for an attack that was just rounding into form.
The fact that Washington is using a 45 day designation rather than a season-ending injury (as was the case with Joanna Lohman, who tore her ACL less than 20 minutes into the season opener) is reason for optimism. The Spirit would be able to re-activate Ordega in the final week of August, provided that her recovery goes as planned.
In the meantime, it will be difficult for the Spirit to replace Ordega for multiple reasons. Only five players league-wide have more goals than the Nigerian international, and she’s tied for second across the NWSL in assists. There’s also the less quantifiable factors she brings. Ordega’s speed, physical strength, and rambunctious approach to the game are all things the Spirit have built around when they attack. Washington’s style of play this season is all about playing runners in behind the defense, and Ordega is the main beneficiary.
