Jamaican forward Kavin Bryan has been dealt a huge setback, as a broken leg will see him not only missing the rest of the Vietnamese League, but also the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs from June 5-25.
The 27-year-old broke his right fibula and dislocated his ankle while representing his club, S™ng Lam Ngh’ An, last Saturday.
Bryan’s injury was sustained during the second half after having scored the game’s lone goal in opening stanza.
“These doctors in Vietnam said I will spend two to three months in a cast and then rehab after, so I will be out for around six months,” Bryan told The Gleaner.
“I am a bit disappointed, seeing that this would have been my first Gold Cup and I was eager to go and perform and help the team in every way; but everything happens for a reason and I won’t question God’s work,” he added.
Standing surgery cost
Bryan departed Vietnam on Wednesday to undertake surgery in Singapore. His club will be standing the cost of the surgery, which is unprecedented for them as it relates to an international player. This only goes to show the impact that Bryan has had at the club.
“When I received the invitation to go to the Gold Cup, the coach didn’t want me to go; he was telling me to turn it down,” Bryan said. “It was like he was telling me to turn my back on my country, so I told him, ‘no, I can’t do that’. He was saying he can’t win the league without me playing, as I am the one who has been bringing the team, but they have to look elsewhere now.
“So after my injury he (the coach) was crying, but I told him, ‘everything will be OK, we will win’. Everybody came to the hospital, president, chairman everybody; even the sponsors of our team,” he added.
Fan favourite
Bryan has also emerged as a fan favourite, having netted 11 goals in all competitions this season, including five in his last five outings. His goalscoring form has led to his team sitting atop the 14-team league with 35 points – to hold a seven-point lead – with 11 games remaining in the season.
“The reception from the team and the fans has been very, very good because even though my team is not from the capital, each day fans bring flowers and things like that to the hotel,” Bryan shared.
“This (Broken leg) is a big setback because I have just hit form consistently, as in the last five games I have scored five goals. It has never been like this since I came to Vietnam, so I was really looking forward to the rest of the season,” he added.
Bryan started his professional career back in 2005 with Rae Town before moving in the January transfer window to Police National, where he spent three months.
In 2006, he joined Harbour View, but was loaned out to Norwegian club Notodden in 2009. He returned to Harbour View before making his latest loan move to Sng Lam Nghë An in November of last year.
Bryan last represented Jamaica in March in international friendlies against Venezuela and El Salvador. His lone goal for the national team to date came in the 3-1 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in August 2010.