Klauss and Rasmus Alm, two key parts of the team鈥檚 offensive attack when healthy, have been practicing with the team and could return to play for the first time in months Sunday when City SC plays the Los Angeles Galaxy at CityPark.
鈥淭hat was really nice,鈥 interim coach John Hackworth said.
It鈥檚 an encouraging sign that City SC needs amid a disappointing season. Both have been out since June with knee sprains, and both were on the field Wednesday with wraps on their right knees. Klauss took part in all of practice, Alm took part in most. Hackworth said Klauss is 鈥渇or sure鈥 going to be available for Sunday, but there was still some uncertainty about Alm.
鈥淩as, I鈥檓 a little more conservative with,鈥 Hackworth said, 鈥渏ust because I want him to be pain-free in all of his actions, and he鈥檚 not right now. I don鈥檛 think any of them are ready to start, necessarily, but it鈥檒l be nice to have them.鈥
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Alm hasn鈥檛 played since June 1, Klauss since June 22.
Klauss still leads the team in goals with five, though new acquisitions Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel and Simon Becher, who have played only one or two MLS games each, are showing signs of closing ground quickly. Nokkvi Thorisson, with three goals in the past four MLS games, has four on the season.
Alm has appeared in only 12 games this season, but the team generally does well when he鈥檚 in the lineup, with the team winning two and tying seven of his 12 games.
Joakim Nilsson, coming back from a hamstring injury, has practiced with the team as well but didn鈥檛 get in a full session because of a knock.
鈥淯nfortunate that Joakim took a knock there because he was back and looking really good Monday and Tuesday as well,鈥 Hackworth said.
It鈥檚 hot
An extra challenge at practice this week has been the heat. The temperature hit 102 degrees Tuesday in 50度灰视频, and City SC, which practices in the late morning, usually starting around 10:30, hasn鈥檛 been able to avoid it.
鈥淭oday was a little better than yesterday,鈥 center back Henry Kessler said, 鈥渂ut yesterday was scorching.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 been brutal,鈥 Hackworth said. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 not so bad, but the last two days have been really tough. We鈥檝e had tough sessions, but the players have battled through it. I think it鈥檚 good preparation. I hope it鈥檚 very hot and humid (Sunday) so the L.A. boys will melt in the Missouri sun.鈥
Hackworth said the game plan in practice wasn鈥檛 changed by the extreme heat.
鈥淵ou have to adapt to the environment in our sport,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o it wasn鈥檛 like we wanted to do something different. We had a plan for the week, and we stuck to it. It was probably nice that today cooled down a little bit because it might have been tough to get from yesterday to today with the intensity that we had.鈥
City SC鈥檚 game Sunday against the Galaxy kicks off at 1:45 p.m., and the forecast for then isn鈥檛 quite so bad, with a high of 88.
鈥淗ere, it鈥檚 so hot,鈥 said newly arrived German left back Jannes Horn, 鈥渁nd when you go inside, it鈥檚 so cold. So it鈥檚 weird for my family. ... Yesterday was so hot, I told my wife, I never saw something like that. I never expected this.鈥
Where鈥檚 Blom?
Njabulo Blom has not played the past three games and has appeared in only one of the past seven. The defensive midfielder from South Africa was suspended for the Portland game in Leagues Cup because of a violation of team rules, and for the next two games, both on the road, he was eligible but not chosen for the travel roster. With the imminent return of Klauss and Alm, spots on the 20-player game-day roster are going to get even harder to come by.
Blom was the odd man out of the last drill on Wednesday. He kicked a ball around with Alm while the practice went on.
Hackworth hesitated when asked about Blom鈥檚 situation.
鈥淗e鈥檚 available for selection,鈥 Hackworth said, after searching for what to say and asking a staff member for assistance.
Hackworth downplayed the part of practice in which Blom didn鈥檛 take part.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the role that we asked him to play,鈥 he said. 鈥淪o we were doing 11 v. 11 at the end. It鈥檚 another part of that. ... I wouldn鈥檛 read too much into that, without saying anything else. I would just say: Hey, look, if somebody got hurt, Njabulo was in there.鈥
Outside back issues
Whether Horn starts on Sunday instead of Jayden Reid is up in the air as Horn gets into game shape after a long layoff, but Hackworth raised questions about the right back spot as well, where Tomas Totland has started almost every game.
鈥淩ight back and left back are really tough decisions right now,鈥 Hackworth said, 鈥渁nd there鈥檚 others, but those two ... and they have to be better. As well as we鈥檝e played with our outside backs, I鈥檓 not telling any secrets, we鈥檝e given up goals at those two positions and we, in particular, need to defend the far side, the far post if you will. We have to do that better. We have not been good at that.鈥
Club America scored on Totland in the Leagues Cup, playing a long ball in his direction. He got turned around and then beaten as Brian Rodriguez scored the goal that made it 1-0 on the way to a 4-2 win for Club America.