Gordon Williams, Contributor

Richards

Jamaican Dane Richards has set no firm date for his return to competitive football, after being sidelined by a serious pre-season injury.

But the speedy midfielder is hoping to bounce back in time to impact the fortunes his US Major League Soccer club and the Reggae Boyz' World Cup qualifying campaign.

Richards, whose blazing runs down the flanks earned him instant recognition as a top MLS rookie in 2007 and pushed him into contention for a place in Jamaica's national set-up, has not played since early March when an opponent stepped high on his leg during a practice game for New York Red Bulls in Austria.

The diagnosis was a "stretched ligament" in his right knee. And, while no surgery was required, he was expected to be out for an extended period. That meant he would miss the early part of the Red Bulls' MLS season. But Richards insists he will not rush to get back before he is fully ready.

"First they told me (I'd be gone) three months," he said on Tuesday. "But I'm not coming back until it's healed properly."

ruled out

Richards said he was hoping to be called up by technical director René Simoes for Jamaica's last match against Trinidad and Tobago on March 26, despite not being named in the squad for the Costa Rica game on February 6. But the injury ruled him out of consideration and a possible chance to prove is worth.

"It's a real setback," said Richards, who last represented Jamaica in two friendly internationals in November against El Salvador and Guatemala. "... I wanted to show what I could do before the qualifiers."

While it remains questionable if Richards will be ready when Jamaica kicks off its official march to World Cup 2010 in June, the 5' 5", 24-year-old from Montego Bay is anxious to return. His rehabilitation, which includes strength and flexibility exercises, has gone well.

There is "no pain at all" in the injured knee, he said.

Richards kicked a football for the first time last week, working on juggling and passing. A few days ago he pushed his workout a bit further.

"I ran (on Monday) so that's good so far," he explained. But his lateral movement remains largely untested.

"The most strength is going straight," Richards explained. "The sideways, I'm not pushing that much."

However, the fitness and form that placed him among the finalists for MLS Rookie of the Year in 2007, after being drafted in the second round out of Clemson University in the United States, is still some way away. While Richards is not sure when he will play again, his plan is to assess his progress after this week before deciding his next move. He remains cautious, trusting his handlers.

"My trainer will let me know," he said.

step up game

Before the injury, Richards said he was ready to step up his game in the new MLS season. Last year he made 27 starts in 30 appearances for the Red Bulls, scoring two goals and dishing out six assists. He claimed his crossing of the ball, not his strong point last season, was much improved in 2008 and his goal is to bring an MLS title to New York.

Richards, who claims he fits comfortably into the current squad of Jamaica national players, some of whom he played with at the youth level, also wants to show how far he has come, especially to Simoes.

"Every chance I get to play for the national team it's a great honour," he said.

He also accepts the injury as part of the game and is confident that what started out as a bad 2008 will improve. He just needs to get back up to speed.

"This happens in football," he said. "You just have to stay positive ... and when I get back I'll just have to do my best and, hopefully, I'll have a good season."

Gordon Williams is a Jamaican journalist based in the United States.

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