This January, just as the Black And Red were preparing for the first-leg of their offseason game, center defender Chris Korb sustained yet another career setback in a long-string of them. Chris Korb, who had earlier injured his right anterior cruciate ligament against the New York City Football Club back in the summer of 2015, and was named in the DC United preseason roster. Afterward, Korb ran out of contract with United, after the club had apparently decided not to continue with his contractual term anymore following the 2016 season that he mostly spent recuperating.
The 29-year-old fullback was hoping to sign a contract by attending training sessions with the Black and Red, the only professional club he had ever played for. Instead, he could not make the team's camp. At that moment, you might excuse the center defender for contemplating that he may never lace up his boot anymore as a professional player.
Chris Korb underwent an ACL surgery
A couple of months afterward, the whole story was completely different. That setback was not the end of his professional soccer career, and Chris Korb eventually got back his foot on the field again for DC United, coming on as a second-half sub in their 4-0 defeat by the Philadelphia Union at the RFK Stadium. Korb's return to full action came 650 days after his initial injury against NYCFC.
It's been somewhat of a roller coaster for the 29-year-old defender, who was initially drafted by DC United during the 2011 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.
The initial injury occurred in DC's first-ever meeting with New York City FC, in their first trip to play on the turf of the Yankees Stadium. Chris Korb was chasing after a fast ball in the second-half, and suddenly fell down in a “heap” near the touch line.
Instantly, he was replaced, and a week later he had to undergo an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery on his right knee. DC United “pegged” the duration on the sideline for the center defender at six to nine months, which is relatively standard for an Anterior Cruciate Ligament surgery.
He struggled to come back
Yet, Chris Korb struggled much in his recovery efforts in the 2016 season, and finally had to go “under the knife” once more to aid his recovery.
Despite spending little time with the Black and Red during the MLS regular season, Korb was never on the practice ground with DC United, which apparently led to DC declining his contractual option this winter preseason. But after missing both trips of the Black and Red preseason, Chris Korb managed to get back on the practice field once more. Initially, he spent some time with DC United youth academy, working out himself back into full fitness. Then, by the beginning of April, Chris Korb was seen training with the DC main team. But he still had to do more than enough to earn himself a contract offer from the Black and Red.
Chris Korb was finally offered a contract
On 4th May, DC announced that they had finally resigned Chris Korb to a multi term deal.
It was not only a sign of “faith” from the club, but it was a recognition by the team's head coach Ben Olsen and his coaching staff that Chris Korb could significantly contribute once more on the field for United, as he had contributed immensely during his first-five seasons as a professional player with the team. Chris Korb immediately went on a short loan to DC United affiliated team Richmond Kickers that same week, starting and playing for seventy-one minutes against Football Club of Cincinnati. Korb provided the assist that gave the kickers the early lead in the encounter.
DC faithfuls cheering korb
That then set the “scene” for last Saturday evening. In an otherwise disappointing encounter for the Black and Red, Chris Korb came in as second-half sub for defender Kofi Opare.
He finally came back to action, twenty-one months after he originally injured his right knee. Apparently, there was a massive roar among DC United faithfuls last Saturday night, as they recognize Chris' long fight to recover from his knee ligament injury and return to the field of play for United.
