HARRISON, N.J. – In the first two matches of the season, head coach Jesse Marsch had a rather consistent substitution pattern.
Emptying the bench on both occasions, Marsch would start by introducing forward Anatole Abang into the match in the second half, followed by World Cup veteran Shaun Wright-Phillips and midfielder Sean Davis.
The moves were understandable in each situation, and those three remain likely candidates to see more time off the bench in future matches this season. But on Saturday night, Marsch was forced to switch things up in a big way.
It’s hard enough to cope with an injury on the night, but three in one game—all hamstring knocks—is almost unheard of.