Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau gestures to fans as he warms up for an MLS playoff soccer match against the LA Galaxy, in Los Angeles, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. nbsp;Canadian international goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau underwent successful Sunday today to repair a fracture of his right leg suffered in extra time of Los Angeles FC’s MLS Cup victory. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Ringo H.W. Chiu
LOS ANGELES – Canadian international goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had surgery on Sunday to repair a fracture of his right leg suffered in extra time of Los Angeles FC’s MLS Cup victory.
LAFC said the surgery was performed at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center.
The injury will keep Crepeau out of the World Cup. He had been expected to be one of Milan Borjan’s backups in Qatar.
Crepeau was hurt in the 110th minute Saturday at Banc of California Stadium when he came out of his penalty box and collided with Philadelphia’s Cory Burke who was chasing an under-hit back pass.
Adding insult to injury, Crepeau was red-carded on the play for denying a goal-scoring chance.
The 28-year-old from Candiac, Que., was placed on a stretcher and carted off the field. Sitting up on the cart, he held his thumb in the air and applauded the crowd as he was taken away.
The game was tied 2-2 at the time. John McCarthy came on to replace Crepeau with LAFC forced to sacrifice forward Kwadwo Opoku to get him on because of Crepeau’s red card.
The game finished tied at 3-3 after extra time with LAFC going on to win a penalty shootout 3-0. McCarthy was named MLS Cup MVP for his shootout heroics.
Crepeau has won 15 caps for Canada.
“We’re thinking of you Maxime,” Canada Soccer tweeted Saturday.
Crepeau came to LAFC from the Vancouver Whitecaps in January in exchange for US$1 million in allocation money.
There was better news for Canada coach John Herdman on Sunday when Bayern Munich said a hamstring strain won’t keep Canadian star Alphonso Davies out of the World Cup. Holding the back of his right leg, Davies was forced to leave Bayern’s 3-2 win over Hertha Berlin in the second half Saturday.
Bayern said Sunday the injury was not as bad as initially feared.
Canada, ranked 41st in the world, opens World Cup play Nov. 23 against No. 2 Belgium in Qatar.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2022.
