(MLSsoccer.com)

Born in France, Antoine Hoppenot — naturally — is a fan of the French national team.

So it only seemed apropos that one of Hoppenot’s first thoughts, upon hitting the turf last weekend after enduring a headbutt from Montreal’s Nelson Rivas, was a moment from the 2006 World Cup — a moment no fan of the French national team will ever forget.

That was when France’s Zinedine Zidane was sent off in the World Cup final for headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest. Italy eventually took down France to win the crown.

“The whole Zidane thing, yeah, there were a lot of references to the Zidane thing,” Hoppenot said. “But in this situation, I’m Materazzi, which is not really the guy I want to be. It’s funny.”

Despite the broken nose, Hoppenot should be good to go for Sunday's home match with Chicago, Union manager John Hackworth said.

(Times staff / JULIA WILKINSON)

If today is anything like the few days that preceded it, Zac MacMath will wear his helmet while manning the space between the pipes.

But that's only because MacMath, the Union’s starting goalkeeper, said wearing the protective headgear following a concussion — and its subsequent recurring symptoms — has become almost essential, whether or not he likes it.

MacMath and the Union host Sporting Kansas City tonight. (For a preview on the game, on Union interim manager John Hackworth's bid to keep things consistent, click here.)

“That’s my personal decision,” MacMath said of wearing the helmet last weekend against D.C. United. “I’ve had people recommend it to me, but it’s definitely my choice. Don’t know how much longer I’ll wear it, or if I’ll wear it this weekend or not. Probably depends on how hot it is.”

MacMath sustained a concussion May 5 in a loss at Seattle. He played the next match, against visiting New York May 13, before sitting out a pair of road matches — May 19 at FC Dallas and May 26 at Toronto FC. He finally returned to the pitch, in league play at least, for last weekend’s match with D.C.

He said the helmet hasn’t disrupted his play, which has produced a 2-7-1 record with a 1.30 goals-against average.

“I don’t think it affects me and the way I play,” MacMath said. “I think it’s a little uncomfortable, but that’s it. I’ve never worn one before. It takes time. I don’t think I’m going to be used to it any time soon. It’s about not thinking about the helmet and just thinking about the play.”

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The Union will be without starters Sheanon Williams (right big toe avulsion fracture) and Gabriel Gomez (left knee contusion, patellar tendonitis), who were among the four players listed as 'OUT' in the MLS injury report, which was published late Friday. 

The others are: Krystian Witkowski (concussion symptoms), and Chandler Hoffman (left big toe fracture), whose injury was initially reported here.

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Be sure to check back to the blog tonight, for the Union's starting lineup and analysis of it, around 6 p.m. There'll also be some postgame stuff up here around 11 p.m., so stay tuned for that, too.

Union forward Chandler Hoffman suffered a broken toe in training Friday, the rookie announced through his Twitter account.

No further details about the injury --- like severity, or which foot it was --- or a timetable for his return were available. A Union official declined comment on Hoffman's status.

The league's injury report, due every Tuesday and Friday, has not yet been updated, so it does not reflect Hoffman's status.

Hoffman, who was taken with the 13th overall pick in the 2012 SuperDraft, finished his junior season at UCLA tied for fourth nationally in goals scored and points.

Though he's only appeared in three MLS matches --- including 51 minutes as a starter against Vancouver, and 13 minutes last weekend being subbed on against D.C. United --- Hoffman has gotten his feet wet with considerable playing time in friendlies and U.S. Open Cup competitions.

Losing Hoffman for any period of time at least opens the door for more playing time for guys like Jack McInerney and Josue Martinez, both of whom started against D.C.

The Union, who have used a break from MLS competition lately to advance to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, resume league play today when D.C. United visits PPL Park for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Here's the updated injury report for the Union, who are searching for their first league victory since April 21:

OUT: FW Krystian Witkowski (concussion symptoms)

QUESTIONABLE: MF Cristhian Hernandez (R knee sprain); MF Gabriel Gomez (L knee contusion); FW Lionard Pajoy (L calf contusion)

PROBABLE: DF Gabriel Farfan (lower back muscle spasms); MF Michael Farfan (L foot strain); DF Sheanon Williams (R big toe sprain); GK Chase Harrison (L ankle sprain); MF Keon Daniel (L ankle sprain); FW Freddy Adu (L calf strain)

What we can glean from the injury report is the Union are thin on the defensive front. If the Farfan brothers and Williams are unable to play, the Union will be looking to Ray Gaddis and Carlos Valdes to hold down the fort, with Amobi Okugo also getting a look at centerback.

(Associated Press)

Midfielder Roger Torres has recovered from April knee surgery and has been cleared to play in the Union’s friendly Saturday at Reading United AC, manager Peter Nowak said Thursday in his weekly press conference.

Torres sustained a left knee MCL sprain in an April 9 reserve-league match against New England. Three days later, he underwent surgery to repair the afflicted knee, and he’s been sidelined since.

“He is good to go. He will play,” Nowak said of Torres, a previously loaned player whose rights the Union acquired outright in the offseason.

“For 10 days, he’s working to come back. He’s not feeling any kind of pain. He’s striking the ball very well. … He needs to be monitored to make sure he’s OK, but he needs to touch the ball more.”

Torres has played 72 minutes in two matches this season, recording one assist.

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IN FRIDAY'S DAILY TIMES: According to Union boss Peter Nowak, the Union simply could not drag their feet on trading Danny Mwanga to Portland. Said Nowak: "Why now? ... We cannot fool ourselves with our position in the standings."

(Getty Images)

Union midfielder Roger Torres told the Daily Times Tuesday that he's recovering nicely from April surgery on his left knee, and that he expects to play next week in a pair of friendlies against the Union's affiliate clubs.

"I'm training with the team," Torres said. “I think I can play against Reading, Harrisburg."

The Union will play Reading United AC June 9, and Harrisburg City Islanders June 12. They next play an MLS match June 16, at home against D.C. United. Torres said he'll "definitely" be back by then.

The 20-year-old midfielder sprained the MCL in his left knee April 9, during a win over New England in a reserve-league match. Four days later, Torres underwent what the Union termed "successful" surgery on the knee April 13. He last played against MLS competition March 24, getting 45 minutes in a loss at Chicago.

Back then, the Union said Torres was on a 6-to-8-week recovery timetable. Should he return next week, that would be during Week 7. Not bad guesswork.

Torres got around the locker room pretty good Tuesday, after the Union polished off Rochester, 3-0, in a third-round match of the U.S. Open Cup. They next play June 5, at D.C. United in a fourth-round match.

Torres said the most difficult part of the process was the recovery, and not the surgery.

“The recovery was the hardest," Torres said. "You lose everything you had in the preseason. That's what's so difficult. But I started recovering a lot of it. I'm ready for the MLS games. I'll be ready by then. I'll be back more faster, more everything, you know?

“To walk? Maybe one week it took to walk. After that, I started to jog a little bit. Now I feel so good."

OTHER ODDS AND ENDS...
***Carlos Valdes and Peter Nowak were sidelined by red-card suspensions from last season's U.S. Open Cup, which carried over to this season. Valdes, who had stitches to mend an open wound in his forehead from a draw with FC Dallas, said he feels good and wished he could have played.
***Freddy Adu, who scored twice against Rochester, said he might miss the June 5 match against D.C. with a scheduled Lasik eye surgery.
***Chandler Hoffman, the Union's first-round SuperDraft choice, got the bad-luck treatment against Rochester. He was the third and final sub...and played only three minutes of stoppage time.
***The game was delayed 58 minutes with rain and lightning.
***Josue Martinez, who scored the other goal Tuesday, got 90 minutes. He hadn't played more than 60 in any match this season, and those 60 came in the season opener. He hadn't gotten more than 35 minutes in any match since.

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On an editorial note ... thanks for checking out the blog routinely this season. I took a few days away from it to recharge the batteries over the holiday weekend. But now that I'm back, the posts will be just as regular as they were before. Again, thanks for your readership. It's appreciated.

There were plenty to reasons to worry about the Union's odds Saturday night. The most-daunting one was standing between the posts, looking like a HI-LITER.

Chase Harrison had never started an MLS game. Heck, he had never even appeared in one. So getting the start Saturday in place of injured goalkeeper Zac MacMath meant the Union would have to step up big in front of the 28-year-old Harrison.

They didn't, but that didn't matter.

Harrison played well -- far better than the two saves spotted him by the official MLS stat sheet -- and he and the Union earned a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas.

Here's one way to look at the tie: It could have gone a lot worse. Sure, Harrison took some bumps and lumps in the match -- including an uncalled-for, stoppage-time barreling into by Andrew Jacobson. (Somehow, Jacobson didn't earn a booking, but Harrison got one for delay of game. But that's neither here nor there.)

It had to have been a cause for concern for Union boss Peter Nowak when he found out MacMath, who took a knock in training Wednesday and sustained more of those troublesome concussion-like symptoms, wasn't going to make the trip to Dallas. Then, to have to turn to Harrison -- a total newbie to MLS -- made matters worse. Harrison's kicked around the MLS reserve goalkeeper pool, in cases of emergency, but he's never made a match.

That's what made his showing Saturday so impressive.

“He was very courageous on a couple of corner kicks and crosses and the free kicks from the sides," Nowak said of Harrison. "As you can see right now, he took some hits.  Some hits on the head and some on the ankle. So listen, you always keep everyone fresh and everyone on their toes because you never know what is going to happen."

Nowak ranted all offseason about how unnecessary it would be to seek out and sign a veteran 'keeper, instead of relying on Harrison and third-stringer Chris Konopka. Harrison's performance could have made Nowak eat his words, especially because Nowak clearly wasn't counting on MacMath getting clipped so soon in the soon.

But Harrison showed up Saturday, earned his paycheck and shouldered the weight of a club that looked in-flux on the backline after trading its captain and centerback this week. For that, Harrison deserved more than a draw against Dallas.

Union's starting XI tonight v. FC Dallas:
GK ... Chase Harrison
D ... Ray Gaddis, Carlos Valdes, Sheanon Williams, Michael Farfan
MF ... Gabriel Gomez, Brian Carroll, Michael Lahoud, Keon Daniel
F ... Danny Mwanga, Lio Pajoy

A few notes about the lineup:

• Rookie moment. Chase Harrison will make the first start of his MLS career in place of Zac MacMath, who will miss the match after re-aggravating his concussion-like symptoms during a collision Wednesday in training. (MacMath did not make the trip.)
• Two strikers, two goals? Last week, in a loss to New York, the Union went with two forwards...and Lio Pajoy scored two goals, playing off Danny Mwanga as the center striker. Tonight, they're going with the same two up top.
• Know Your Farfans. The Union are going with Michael Farfan --- and not Gabriel Farfan, who completed his three-game suspension --- at left back tonight.
• Lahoud debut. Acquired Thursday from Chivas USA, in exchange for Danny Califf, Michael Lahoud will make his debut for the Union tonight with a start in the midfield. Time to see the Union's return on the deal.
• No Adu. Freddy Adu will serve his one-game suspension after incurring a red card last week.

Times / JULIA WILKINSON

Zac MacMath, the goalkeeper suffering from concussion-like symptoms this week, will start Sunday's match v. New York Red Bulls.

MacMath was included in the Union's starting lineup, which was announced 15 minutes ago.

The 20-year-old MacMath, who's been troubled by concussion-like symptoms since May 5, when he took a knee to the head from Seattle's David Estrada, had been listed as 'out' in a May 8 injury report, then upgraded to 'probable' May 11.

MacMath owns a 1.12 goals-against average and three clean sheets this season.

Other interesting observations from the Union's starting XI v. NYRB:

• No Califf. Centerback Danny Califf will miss his fifth game of the season, presumably with the left hamstring strain that has saddled him since last month. 
• Backline mixup. The Union list Michael Farfan, Ray Gaddis, Carlos Valdes and Sheanon Williams as their starters at defender, but offered no further clarity. If Gaddis, who's most comfortable on the right, starts there, that would seem to push Williams to centerback. Assuming that's how they take the field, the Union might use Farfan as an attacking piece on the left, perhaps providing that connecting link between the defenders and midfielders that has been so lacking for the Union.
• Two forwards. The Union saw what a three-forward formation provided May 9 in a friendly win over FC Schalke 04. So today, they will start Lionard Pajoy and Danny Mwanga up top.

Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath has been upgraded from 'out' in Tuesday's injury report to 'probable' today, per a Tweet from the club.

MLS had not updated its injury report as of 6 p.m. MacMath has been suffering from concussion-like symptoms since a collision with Seattle's David Estrada in the first half of last weekend's loss to the Sounders. The second-year pro did not suit up for Wednesday's friendly vs. Schalke 04.

Times staff photo / JULIA WILKINSON

Though this seems like positive news, here's why MacMath should not play Sunday against visiting New York:

1. Concussions are far more severe than any other injury.
If MacMath Tuesday was suffering from symptoms related to a concussion, chances are it hasn't gone away in three days. And since MacMath has been the Union's best player this season -- by far -- the club will need him to be at the top of his game as the season progresses. An aggravated concussion leads to light and noise sensitivities, as well as headaches ... and that's only in the short term. The Union would be best served sitting MacMath.

2. Heightened sensitivities to concussions nationwide.
They are more than a buzzword or the hot topic of sports. Concussions are a serious epidemic, serious enough that the Union and PPL Park are promoting Sunday's match as Concussion Awareness Day. Taylor Twellman, an MLS all-star whose career was cut short by concussions, is an advocate for the awareness of the ailment. A former Union broadcaster, he'll be on hand with an ESPN team for the game. It would seem to undercut the message of the event should MacMath suit up.

So while Sunday is a big game against a big rival, it might be in everyone's best interests that MacMath take the day off and allow either of his backups -- Chase Harrison or Chris Konopka -- to get the start.

Courtesy: Getty Images

Wednesday night, in a game looking like it was pointed toward a draw, the Union had an 18-year-old lining up to take free kicks and corners.

Granted, Wednesday's game was a friendly, thus ensuring there was less at stake than a league match. But Cristhian Hernandez was the man called upon by Union assistant John Hackworth.

Hernandez didn't deliver the game-winning goal, or the helper that led to it, though his effort in a 2-1 win over FC Schalke 04 provided a glimpse into how the Union technical staff view the future career trajectory of the 5-11 forward.

“Ever since I was young, I was the guy behind the ball," Hernandez told me the other day. "I got used to having the pressure of delivering a nice ball. From that pressure, I got the confidence of Coach Peter (Nowak) and going out there tonight having corners and free kicks. Having no other guy responsible to take it, I was willing to step up to the challenge."

The franchise's second Homegrown Player, and a mere 17-year-old when he netted the game-winner against EPL side Everton FC, Hernandez has gotten 26 minutes -- largely garbage time -- in two home losses. So, at the very least, the PPL Park fans have gotten a glimpse at him.

He said he's confident in the future the Union have promised him, in giving him a pro contract last offseason, even if he wishes he'd play more. Until then, it'll be games like Wednesday's that motivate him.

“It's difficult because, going out there is a whole different level," Hernandez said. "Everyone's a lot faster and a lot stronger. It's all about confidence. And I have it right now."

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As of 5 p.m. Friday, MLS had yet to update its injury report.

That left the status of Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath up in the air. MacMath was listed in Tuesday's report as 'OUT' with concussion-like symptoms, after taking a knee/shin to the back of the head in the first half of last weekend's loss at Seattle.

Backups Chase Harrison, 28, and Chris Konopka, 27, played well in the friendly, but have combined for one appearance (Konopka's start last season with New York) in their MLS careers.

Source: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath is listed in Tuesday's Major League Soccer injury report as 'OUT,' though his status for this weekend's league contest with New York is unknown.

According to Union boss Peter Nowak, MacMath -- who is suffering from concussion-like symptoms -- will sit Wednesday's friendly with FC Schalke 04.

MacMath sustained the injury in the first half of Saturday's 1-0 Union defeat, when Seattle's David Estrada struck MacMath in the back of the head while vying for a ball in the goalbox. MacMath remained in the match.

The second-year keeper, and first-year starter, MacMath has not had to miss action due to injury. The fifth overall selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, MacMath owns a 1.125 goals-against average with three cleansheets this season. Two weeks ago, MacMath's franchise-record 408-minute shutout streak was snapped in a loss to San Jose.

Of course, if I hear anything, I'll be sure to update. This is all I have for now.

Midfielder Roger Torres underwent what the Union term "successful" surgery Friday morning after sustaining a medial collateral ligament sprain and minor meniscus damage in his left knee.

The club announced Torres, a 20-year-old Colombian, is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks.

Torres, who has scored three goals and logged nine assists since joining the Union in 2010, sustained the injury Monday while helping the Union to a 4-2 win over New England in a reserve-league match.

That's all the information the Union provided.

Wednesday, Union manager Peter Nowak said he preferred not to set a timetable for Torres' return. Instead, he texted me saying, "We will most probably (know) on Friday."

While MCL sprains don't always require surgery, this could be a sign that the Union would prefer not to play around with Torres' injury and would rather have him guaranteed to return to the lineup.

If you were worried about the status of midfielder Roger Torres, you had good reason.

Wednesday, Union manager Peter Nowak told reporters the status of Torres, who sustained a left knee MCL sprain Monday, "doesn't look good" and that he wasn't willing to establish a timetable for the 20-year-old Colombian's return.

Torres, who was hurt in Monday's 4-2 reserve-league win over New England, has played 72 minutes in two matches this season.

Here's what Nowak had to say about Torres' injury:

On how soon Torres could return:
“It doesn't look good. I'm not the doctor. I'm trying to find the way right now to see that it's not only MCL. It could also be the meniscus. It could be a couple of things. If we were to decide to clean this up, not going one thing and trying to see if the other thing will work, it could be that it's a combination of things that we need to clean up in his knee, and that the therapy would be even longer. I don't want to predict any timetable for Roger, but it doesn't look good."

On the risk of returning too soon:
“Do you compensate something for something and actually you injure something else? I'm not talking because it was a bad foul. His knee went completely inside, so I knew something from the beginning was wrong. They will try to determine today and tomorrow what will be the definite procedure on this, but the MCL sprain is pretty bad and additional pieces were affected. Additional stuff is affected as well. There's still swelling, so you have to wait until the swelling to go down. You run the MRI to try to figure out the other part that got injured, and the other parts got injured, too."

Nowak made it clear that the Union's training staff will conduct an MRI on Torres' knee and determine the kind of treatment he'll need to endure.

Perhaps Nowak is playing up Torres' injury. Perhaps he isn't, and one of his top offseason signings (the Union purchased Torres' loan and own his rights outright) is legitimately hurt.

Only time will tell.

(Photo: Associated Press)

By the time the Union next play, they might be their healthiest all season.

According to Union boss Peter Nowak, the club is using its bye week to its fullest potential. Only rookie Krystian Witkowski, who suffered a concussion two weeks back, is sidelined as a non-participant in training.

Nowak said centerback Carlos Valdes, who has taken hits to his head in three of four matches this season, "is OK" and his fitness shouldn't be questioned for the Union's April 14 match vs. visiting Columbus. Valdes, who wore a padded helmet March 31 against Vancouver, absorbed an elbow to the head from the Whitecaps' Atiba Harris.

Also, Freddy Adu, who was granted “a couple days off” by Nowak, should be fresh when Columbus comes to town. Adu was at PPL Park for the scoreless draw against Vancouver, but didn't make the 18-man gameday roster. He was coming off a stretch during which he played three matches in five days with the U.S. U-23s, who were attempting to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

He wasn't in the Union's starting lineup. He wasn't on the gameday roster, either.

So if he didn't play, let alone dress, for Saturday's match against visiting Vancouver, where was Roger Torres?

The 20-year-old midfielder was seen exiting a press-level suite with teammates Freddy Adu and Cristhian Hernandez. When asked why he didn't play, Torres said didn't have a concrete answer. Torres' name hadn't been included in either of the Union's injury reports this week.

"I'm not sure why," Torres told me.

Union boss Peter Nowak, in his press conference following the Union's scoreless draw with the Whitecaps, made it sound as though he benched Torres because he was unsatisfied with his youngster's work ethic.

"Roger, it’s competition. We have three offensive guys, with Jack (McInerney), Danny Mwanga and also Josue Martinez on the bench, and we need to have a cover as well with Amobi Okugo and also Chris Albright.

"...The competition is always good. We have three guys coming back from the Olympic team as well and it’s going to be two good weeks of training to make sure we’re going to get the fighting spirit and the performance we presented today. Overall, I think we’ve been preaching for a long time about the fighting spirit, about fighting for each ball and making tackles in the right time going forward."

Torres, whose rights were acquired by the Union this offseason, has played in only two of the club's four matches, logging only 72 minutes. A criticism of Torres in the past has been his stamina and his inability to give more than a few minutes off the bench.

It'll be a while before we see whether Torres will be on the pitch next for the Union (0-3-1), who enter a bye week.

(Photo: Associated Press)

Danny Califf spoke out after Sunday's 2-1 loss to Colorado, regarding Peter Nowak's decision the sit him out.

Minutes after Nowak said in his press conference that Califf had undergone an offseason procedure to have meniscus removed from his left knee and that he endured a cortisone shot, Califf refuted those statements.

“It was a surprise to me. I didn't find out I wasn't playing until today, when we walked into the locker room," Califf said. “I guess I found out. Supposedly I have a knee injury."

Califf said he had something called synvisc, or "joint grease," injected into his knee, March 5 -- a week before the season opener. But other than that, Califf said he had been cleared by all doctors and medical staff from the Union to play Sunday. Califf went all 90 minutes in a March 12 loss at Portland.

“Honestly, that's the first time I've heard about my knee being a problem," Califf said. "I don't really understand where that's coming from. I have no idea what's going on in Peter's head because he hasn't said a word to me. To be honest, I don't really have any idea. I would've thought that he at least would have a conversation with me. But he didn't and maybe that's his style and that's the situation right now."

Here are Nowak's exact words:

“Danny's still – you guys don't know – he has a shot in his knee. Doctors in the offseason took a pretty good chunk of meniscus," Nowak said. "He started preseason and didn't do anything until the first day. … We're monitoring the situation to make sure he's ready to play, but he's going to be available for us and getting the performance that we all expect."

So why did Califf make the 18-man gameday roster?

“Because,” Nowak said, “we didn't know … with Chris (Albright) coming back as well, I think we just wanted to make sure (Califf) would be available for us.”

Albright, coming off a groin strain, started Sunday.

For more on Califf and the Union, check out Monday's Daily Times.

(Photo: Associated Press)