ChampionsGate, Fla. – To say it’s been a long seven months for defender Chris Duvall would be an understatement.
One minute, the defender was in the midst a standout year as part of a terrific sophomore season. The next, a crunching tackle changes everything.
“It was a big injury for Chris,” Marsch said. “It kept him out longer than we were hoping. And right when he was just about ready to [come back] our season ended.”
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After enjoying a breakout rookie campaign in 2014, Duvall looked as if he would pick up right where he left off. A solid defensive presence and a constant threat in attack with his dangerous overlapping runs, the Wake Forest product was a constant selection in Marsch’s XI week in and week out. And as the summer began to heat up, Duvall looked to be hitting his peak.
On June 28, the defender popped up to net the game-winning goal in the team’s first-ever visit to Yankee Stadium, helping his side to a 3-1 triumph over cross-town rivals New York City FC. And just three days later, Duvall again figured to help dispatch another local rival, this time in the U.S. Open Cup in a rematch with the New York Cosmos. With his side holding a commanding lead, disaster struck late in the match. A rash challenge from Cosmos defender Hunter Gorskie left Duvall writhing in pain as Red Bull fans collectively held their breath.
The next day, their worst fears had been confirmed; a broken tibia ensured that Duvall’s 2015 season had come to an unfortunate end. Such is the nature of the business, but for a young Duvall enduring his first major injury, the mental toll was perhaps more taxing than the physical repercussions.
“It was definitely tough,” Duvall told NewYorkRedBulls.com. “I remember the night that it happened, Jesse came to the hospital to visit it me and kind of gave me the warning that it would be one of the toughest things I’d ever go through.
“At the time—three, four months—it doesn’t seem like so long. But once you get into it, it’s a grind to come in every day and rehab knowing that the goal is still a long way off.”
The road to recovery was certainly an arduous process, as Duvall was resigned to a seat on the sidelines as his teammates trudged on through the MLS campaign. Each day brought about a new challenge as the long journey back to the pitch dragged on. Luckily for Duvall, the team was riding high in his absence. But their winning ways didn’t leave him resentful, quite the opposite, in fact.
“It was definitely hard to sit on the sidelines, but us winning made it better,” Duvall explained. “Being able to watch the team succeed was really nice. Had we not been doing so well it would’ve been even tougher sitting on the sidelines, but with us winning I got some joy from watching the games and I could be even more inspired to get into the training room and get to work.”
And get to work he did, progressing through his rehab at a tremendous pace. Duvall nearly returned to full fitness for New York’s playoff run, but missed out as the Red Bulls were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Championship.
As the calendar turned to 2016, Duvall’s long awaited return was postponed just a few months more. Now, with the team down in Florida for preseason training, Duvall continues his path back to the Red Bull Arena pitch. Having gone seven months without a full 90 minutes under his belt, there would reasonably be some questions regarding his fitness, but Marsch has been pleased with what he’s seen from his right back thus far.
“He looks strong; he looks better than I thought he would,” Marsch admitted. “He’s getting his minutes up, he’s getting his fitness up, and he’s getting stronger every day. He’s got such a great competitive energy so getting him back with the group every day has been a really good thing. I think he’ll have a big year.”
At the halfway point of the team’s first preseason stint, there have understandably been some heavy legs and tired bodies trudging through the hotel halls as the grind begins show its effects within the squad. But you won’t see anything but a smile on Duvall’s face.
Returning to the game he loves has superseded all else.
“I don’t think preseason is usually a time that people look forward to with all the two-a-days and the fitness, but it’s been amazing for me,” Duvall said with a chuckle. “I’m loving every day—getting back, getting touches with the ball, being with the guys—it’s what I live for. This has been a joyful couple of weeks and I’m excited to see how the rest of it goes.”
