PORTLAND, Ore.— The Portland Timbers announced this afternoon that midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe will undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia. Nagbe is scheduled to be re-evaluated by doctors in Southern California on Thursday, with surgery scheduled for Friday afternoon at Surgery Center of the Pacific in Santa Monica, Calif.
Nagbe is expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
Nagbe, 20, was selected by the Timbers in the first round (2nd overall) in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. A member of Generation adidas, Nagbe was a standout at the University of Akron, leading the Zips to the NCAA national championship after compiling seven goals and a career-high 13 assists as a junior in 2010. He won the 2010 Hermann Trophy, considered the most prestigious honor in collegiate soccer as the NSCAA Player of the Year award for Division I. Among his many accolades in 2010, Nagbe was named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Player of the Year and was a NSCAA First-Team All-America selection.
A native of Lakewood, Ohio, Nagbe compiled 19 goals and 19 assists in 73 matches during his three collegiate seasons. He led Akron to three straight MAC Tournament titles (2008-10) and an appearance in the NCAA Men's College Cup finals in 2009. Nagbe, a three-time All-MAC first-team selection, tallied 10 goals in 25 games during his sophomore season in 2009, and received NSCAA All-America honors. He was awarded the 2008 MAC Newcomer of the Year following his freshman season in 2008.
