St. Louis City center back Joachim Nilsson has been struggling to return to action due to hamstring soreness. So he got his wisdom teeth out.
It’s an idea that has been used elsewhere, although there’s no hard medical research linking the two. The theory is that it involves the posterior chain, the muscles at the back of the leg, including the hamstrings and hamstrings, and that the removal of the wisdom teeth, the final set of teeth most people get in their late teens and early teens 20s, can relieve pressure and pain that can run from the body to the feet.
“I was a little skeptical when (assistant coach Rainer Kraft) said that,” Nilsson said Monday, “but then I started reading about it and I also talked a lot with my brother, who is also my agent, who works . with an agency in Germany. He asked me, “Why didn’t you tell me before?” But I had no idea. He told me a story that when he had Ralf Rangnick as manager at Hoffenheim, he had all the players sent off. So it’s a funny story. I had no idea about this, but I did it in hopes that it would help. I was looking for answers. And we’ll see. He felt fine after the surgery.
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“In Germany, there’s a lot of research that says it’s a connection between wisdom teeth and oral health, actually, and the nervous system. So I took them off and it’s been really good since I took them off. I had a little problem with one of them at the time. I don’t want to confuse anything, but I feel a lot better at the moment, so I have Reiner to thank for that.”
Nilsson, after injuring and then re-injuring his hamstring and playing just one game in three months, returned to action on Saturday against Sporting Kansas City, coming off the bench in the 84th minute.
Nilsson said he is ready for more playing time on Wednesday when City SC play Los Angeles FC (9:30 p.m., Season Pass on Apple TV+). City SC are three games into their season and Nilsson is keen to get some time off after a second season where he has had limited playing time due to injuries. He said he was sure he could go 45 minutes if he had to.
“Obviously, we were a bit cautious because of the setbacks,” he said, “but now I’m feeling better than before, so I’m ready to gain minutes. I want to play. I always say I want to get as many minutes as possible, and I think just those first 10, 15 minutes were good to come back, to get that confidence as well. Now I just want to finish strong and play as many minutes as possible.”
“I thought he looked great,” interim coach John Hackworth said. “This was one of those decisions that was more about the future than about Joakim in one game and that particular moment. But we’ve seen Joakim practice hard the last two weeks. I have told you that I really wanted to be careful out of mere concern for his health and well-being. I didn’t want to put him in a position where he could potentially get hurt again. But he’s super confident and it gave me a lot of confidence that I could put him in a tough game at a tough time and that he could not only do the job but show that he’s healthy and ready to go. And that is a huge blessing for all of us. So I hope we continue to do that.”
In a quick turnaround from Saturday, the injury situation for City SC hasn’t changed much, meaning Chris Durkin could miss another game with knee inflammation. With Durkin out, Hackworth turned to Akil Watts to fill in rather than newcomer Jake Girdwood-Reich.
“Because Akil is a baller,” Hackworth said, “and he’s someone I’ve worked with for a long time, and I know when I need something from a player and I’ve asked him to do a very specific job, he’s a player I can trust 100% to do this. He’s dealing with it like that, so happy that he’s put together two really good performances and I think it speaks volumes for him as a person and as an athlete, that he’s ready for those moments when he’s called upon.”
“I’m enjoying it, for sure,” Watts said. “Chris is a big part of this team, and he does a lot of dirty work to step up and fill his shoes. it means a lot to me.”
City SC, who were eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday, still have three games left: LAFC, at home against Houston on Saturday and then, after a week off, a trip to Minnesota. LAFC and Houston have clinched playoff spots, and Minnesota can do so on Wednesday.
While City SC have won two in a row for the first time this season, the teams they have beaten are ranked 27th and 29th in the Supporters’ Shield. Four of their seven wins have come against the three worst teams in the league. So the final three games, all against teams currently in the top 12 on points, will be big tests for City SC as they prepare for next season. LAFC is second in the West, but is in a tough stretch of its schedule. this is the sixth of seven games in 22 days.
“This is a huge game,” Hackworth said. “It’s nice to put together two really good results, two good performances. We still have things to work on to be successful against a team like LAFC, but at the same time, I think the belief is there. I like the way we’re developing, just the way we managed the game against Kansas was something I expect our team to do, make decisions in a game that affect the outcome, adjust, read when we’re in rhythm, when It’s not, momentum of a game, and how to manage it the right way. Scoring goals is a great way to manage it.”