Joe Corona injures right foot, could be facing lengthy time out

Joe Corona injured his right foot in Club Tijuana's 1-1 draw with Queretaro on Friday night and could be looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines. The club has not commented on the severity of the injury, only saying that he would have to undergo scans, but he left the stadium on crutches and reports out of Mexico were not optimistic.

Corona started the match on the bench after playing in the United States' friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras during the week. but entered in the second half. He only made it 13 minutes before going down and was immediately taken off the pitch.

It is an interesting time for Corona because he has struggled to make an impact for the U.S., but has played better for Xolos this season under new manager Daniel Guzman. Tijuana uses him primarily as a left-sided midfielder, but has has played a bit in the center and he's begun to improve. Always quick and pretty technical, Corona has been moving the ball much faster and showing more confidence than in recent years. The hope was that would translate over to the U.S., but it didn't last week.

Hopefully Corona's injury proves to be minor and he doesn't miss too much time because he is really starting to find his groove for Xolos. If he can keep doing that, maybe the same will happen for the U.S., but a lengthy stint on the training table could derail that and leave him a steep hill to climb before the Gold Cup next year.