CARSON, 433802336" tabindex="0">Calif. – Kenney Walkerwas expected to contribute in earnest this year for the LA Galaxy, but an odd injury got in the way, and he needed two and half months to return from surgery after a starting assignment on opening day.
Now the holding midfielder, who has made a greater impact with LA's reserve side than with the first team in his three-plus seasons with the club, is hoping to pick up where he left off back in March, and he'll likely play a key role in W433802337" tabindex="0">ednesday night's US Open Cup fourth-round clash against visiting amateurs PSA Elite.
Walker, 26, has made just 13 regular season appearances since joining the Galaxy ahead of the the 2012 MLS season, but that speaks more to the depth and veteran leadership in central midfield than to his ability to fill the role.
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“Attitude's a big part of it, and with Kenney, he's got a phenomenal attitude,” associate head coach Dave Sarachan said following Tuesday's training session at StubHub Center. “He does extra work off the field; he does extra work on the field. He's not discouraged. Obviously, he'd like to get more playing time, but he's a guy that when the moment and opportunity comes, he's ready.
“We trust him now that he's been in the league long enough, and he's got enough minutes behind him that he shouldn't be fazed by any game or match.”
Walker is a calming presence in midfield, expert at keeping the ball moving and regulating the game's pace, but has found it tough break through behind players like David Beckham, Marcelo Sarvas, Juninho, Pablo Mastroeni, Baggio Husidic and Mika Väyrynen. He'll likely be the No. 4 central midfielder for LA this season, and that's before Steven Gerrard arrives.
“[Using veterans is] just Bruce's standard and philosophy. I don't blame him,” Walker said. “He puts in the guys that he knows can get the job done, but it's our job to show we have that mettle about us, too. ... It's a little bit frustrating [not to play often], but at the same time, you can't fault what's out on the field. The guys are winning games, we're winning championships year after year – you can't be too upset about it.
“I push the guys in practice, and then it shows on the field, so it's good for the club.”
Walker made four MLS starts last year, and his presence in the first XI for the March 6 opener, a 2-0 win over Chicago, signaled his rising status within the team. But he experienced soreness below his abdomen in the days following the match, had it checked out, and underwent sports hernia surgery days later.
He wasn't available for 11 games, but has seen time off the bench in three of the past four league encounters after playing in two Galaxy II matches in USL.
“It was a sports hernia, but not the traditional ones that you hear about, where it pushes through the mesh wall,” he said. “It was just the nerve got caught in between scar tissue. No muscle tears or anything.”
He's been working on building fitness, and he says “it'll be interesting [to see] how long I can play” against PSA Elite. “I feel good to play a full 90, but we'll see.”
“I see a lot of potential,” said Juninho, LA's midfield general. “He's a very good kid. He's been doing well for a long time, and he's waiting his chance. I think it's time for him to show that he's a good passer, a good player. It's time to show in this game.”
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The next step: making a greater impact in MLS play. Like Juninho, LA's staff has high expectations.
“He is a distributing midfielder,” Sarachan said. “He's good in possession, good to play through, so when the backs have the ball, you can play Kenney at any moment in the midfield. And he's pretty comfortable whether he has to turn and make a pass or hold balls and bring others into it.
“I wouldn't call him a box-to-box midfielder. He's not a guy that's going to make 30-yard runs out of the midfield to get on the end of crosses. However, he's not shy about trying to push forward to combine and make plays. And he hits a great ball from distance.”
