D.C. United's Steve Birnbaum was stretchered off the field in injury time of his team's 2-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls. It is never a pleasing sight to see a player forced out of the game, particularly due to injury and especially on a stretcher.
Initial reports from D.C. United were encouraging - in the sense at least that the player's condition was not perceived to be critical and his trip to hospital was characterized as a precaution rather than necessity. Now the club has announced Birnbaum has a concussion: not an insignificant injury and one from which it can take some time to recover.