While Minh Vu has provided balance and continuity in the midfield in 2012, the senior midfielder will need to pass balance tests among other examinations if he wants to see the field anytime soon.
Penn State men’s soccer coach Bob Warming and his squad will most likely be without one of the their best playmakers for the second consecutive game — Wednesday’s home bout against Bucknell.
Vu, who suffered a concussion on Oct. 10 against Akron, missed Sunday’s game against Michigan State and is doubtful for this week’s game versus the Bison.
The senior has not practiced this week and might train as early as tomorrow.
However, it’s likely that the senior will miss the non-conference game against Bucknell and rest up for Sunday’s away match-up with Big Ten foe Northwestern.
“I talked to the doctors and they said I should take it easy. I probably won’t play Wednesday and I’ll just get myself ready for Northwestern,” Vu said.
A vital cog to the Nittany Lions (7-4-2, Big Ten 2-1-1) midfield, Vu sustained the head injury in the eighth minute against the No. 3 Zips and did not return to the game.
“Once I got hit, I blacked out. The trainers asked me a few questions, I couldn’t respond, and I had not idea where I was,” Vu said.
One glimpse of good news for the Lions is that this incident is Vu’s first concussion.
According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, having a previous concussion increases the risk factors and complications of receiving a concussion.
However, as long as symptoms, like headaches, weakness and nausea, persist, Vu will be out of the lineup, and the Lions will try to replace his presence in the midfield.
The senior, who was named the 2011 Offensive Player of the Big Ten Tournament, has used elusiveness and clever passes to create offensive opportunities for the Lions in 2012. Vu leads the team in assists with three this season and has also notched a goal of his own.
“He is definitely one of our more dynamic players who can play a penetrating ball through the defense,” Lions’ leading scorer Julian Cardona said. “Not a lot of guys have that type of vision so he is very dangerous in that respect.”
Going along with his passing abilities, Vu’s attacking approach and capability to take on defenders will be absent in the Lions’ midfield.
While his senior leadership is something that will obviously be missed, Vu’s technical footwork and ingenuity on the outside is something that will be tough to replicate, too.
“We will definitely miss leadership,” senior defender John Gallagher said. “But the biggest thing is his ability to by defenders in 1-v-1 situations, and put the defense on their heels.”
To email reporter: jjm5639@psu.edu
