CF Monterrey defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0 on Friday to advance to the Leagues Cup 2023 Round of 16 phase. However, the victory came at a cost, as the club lost Germán Berterame to an injury.
Berterame suffered a fracture in his left foot late in the contest against Portland. Despite moving on in the tournament, the Argentine will head to Monterrey, where he’s scheduled for surgery.
“The truth is, it was a hard blow,” Berterame told reporters (h/t Telediario). “I did not expect it. It is an uncomfortable situation, it hurts, but you have to turn the page. I want to get to Monterrey with the family. I have to have surgery and return as soon as possible once it’s done.
“We all know how the synthetic field is played. Today, it was my turn. Everyone saw the video. Everyone saw the photo, and that photo was quite impressive as it didn’t look as bad as it does now.”
There’s no confirmed timetable for when the striker will return to the squad. Berterame’s surgery will keep him out of football activities for several weeks. Nonetheless, there’s speculation that he could be out for three months.
If the 24-year-old misses the majority, if not all, of the LIGA MX Apertura 2023 season, will Monterrey find a replacement? The other option will be to roll with Rogelio Funes Mori and Rodrigo Aguirre once he’s fully fit.
The injury to Germán Berterame raises concerns over playing on turf
Berterame’s fractured left foot injury brought up the discussion of playing on turf. NFL players have raised the issue of wanting to play on grass over turf in their sport.
Nonetheless, ESPN’s Herculez Gomez went as far as to say it’s time to ban turf due to the injuries of Berterame and New England Revolution’s Brandon Bye, who tore his ACL. Gomez wasn’t alone on this hill, as TUDN’s Michele Giannone was vocal about banning turf too.
Will MLS owners listen? They might if Lionel Messi decides he’s not playing on turf, thus hurting some team’s pocketbooks. If turf remains, it will be interesting to see how many LIGA MX clubs voluntarily play on that field for any games outside the Concacaf Champions Cup in some MLS stadiums.