Real's Kreis is out — maybe for the season

Jason Kreis is still clinging to the possibility that he'll play another game for Real Salt Lake this year, but the reality of that happening seems highly unlikely.

After hearing a pop in his left knee at practice Tuesday, a preliminary diagnosis revealed a partial tear in Kreis' ACL — the same knee he blew out and had reconstructive surgery on a few years ago.

Kreis will seek a second opinion from U.S. National Team doctor Bert Mandelbaum, but he'll have to wait a few weeks because Mandelbaum is out of the country.

"I'm just waiting to see what he says," said Kreis.

Kreis, 32, has been battling lingering knee pain throughout the season. Periodically, he feels a little pop or slip in his knee, which is usually followed by several days of stiffness. He's hoping the current pain is along the same lines.

Either way, he'll definitely miss the next three games while waiting to meet with Mandelbaum, who is based in Southern California. After that, Real Salt Lake only has four matches left in the regular season. Unless RSL wins two, if not all three of those matches without Kreis, RSL's slim hopes of making the playoffs would be dashed, and regardless of Kreis' second opinion, it's doubtful he'd risk a more serious injury by playing in meaningless games.

Aside for the one match he was suspended earlier this year for yellow card accumulation, Kreis has played every minute of every game for Salt Lake in its inaugural season. They've been productive games as well. Kreis leads the team with nine goals and is among the league's leading scorers.

Last month, MLS's all-time leading scorer recorded his 100th career goal, a game RSL lost 4-2, and Kreis called one of the most bittersweet moments of his life.

This isn't the first Kreis season cut short by a knee injury.

In the 2003 season with the Dallas Burn he tore his ACL and lateral meniscus in his left knee on Aug. 13 and missed the remainder of the season.

Some doubted whether he'd ever be the same again, but after nearly nine months of rehab, he returned to the Dallas line-up early in 2004. He ended up playing in 25 games, including 19 starts, and finished with five goals and two assists.

If Kreis' current knee injury does indeed sideline him for the rest of 2005, he's taking solace that at least he knows what his body requires to get back into playing shape for the 2006 season.

"Mentally, if it does end up being an ACL, it will be easier to deal with because I know I can come back," said Kreis. "Because there were some doubts the first time."

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E-mail: jedward@desnews.com