Toronto

Here's the tackle that had Sebastian Giovinco limping off the field

Published Mar. 11, 2017 7:50 p.m. ET

Caitlin Murray

Sebastian Giovinco was forced out of a Toronto FC match on Saturday after a bruising hit from defender Oguchi Onyewu.

Giovinco went down clutching his thigh in pain in the 47th minute of a 2-2 draw vs. the Philadelphia Union and, after staying down for a while, he limped off the field without returning.

Here's the tackle and injury:

Onweyu did not receive a card for the tackle, yellow or otherwise, although Toronto FC clearly wanted one.

Giovinco looked to be in some pretty serious pain, but the club later called the injury a "contusion," which sounds more like a bruise than anything too worrying. Still, it may require additional evaluation because injuries can look more or less serious than they seem initially. A timeline for Giovinco's return won't be known until the club makes a definitive diagnosis.

Not having Giovinco for any amount of time would be a big setback for Toronto FC. He finished last season with 32 combined goals and assists, and he is considered perhaps the most talented player in MLS. There's no replacing him.

Last season, for instance, when Giovinco was out for a five-game stretch, Toronto won only one of those games, despite four of them being at home and Toronto having one of the best records in MLS. In other words, Toronto FC is a good team, but they aren't nearly as good without their Italian magician.

While it's too early to know if and for how long TFC will be without Giovinco, his injury on Saturday was enough to force him off the field. Fans in Toronto will have to hope for the best.

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