Tomas Chancalay Makes Emotional Return

“I think the most difficult part is getting past the fear outside of the physical part of injuries. I think I’ve done a good job to overcome that, and that’s why I feel good to play now."

Photo By J. Alexander Dolan

The New England Revolution got a massive boost with the return of Tomas Chancalay. For the winger, it was more than just a cameo appearance of the bench; it was the culmination of nine months of hard work and tribulations.

Chancalay was sidelined for nearly a year after tearing his ACL. It is one of the most significant injuries an athlete can sustain and once was a career-ender. Even today, most athletes aren’t the same after going under the knife to repair the injury.

The actual appearance on the field wasn’t the focus. Nor were his 14 touches and his single shot. The fact that the winger was running around on the pitch was what mattered most.

You could see how much the moment meant to Chancalay. He emotionally embraced his teammates and while three points probably brought tears to the eyes of Revs fans, it is safe to assume the 26-year-old felt the emotional weight of completing a long and ardeous journey.

“Yeah, honestly I was very emotional,” the winger said. “I think my first game back is now in the past and I have to shift focus on how I can help the team. I’m really happy to be back. I hope that I can help this team with everything ahead of us so we can achieve the goals that we’ve set for ourselves.”

Photo Courtesy of New England Revolution

But returning from an injury is more than just a physical journey. An athlete has to manage the fear of getting hurt again. Every step brings the potential for the sport they love to be ripped out of their hands once again.

“I think the most difficult part is getting past the fear outside of the physical part of injuries,” Chancalay said. “I think I’ve done a good job to overcome that, and that’s why I feel good to play now.”

Chancalay noted that he worked with a psychologist while going through the injury rehab process. Additionally he thanked his family for supporting him through the difficult time.

“My family, and I worked with psychologists,” he said. “I think that helped me feel good mentally. It’s important for me, in addition to the physical parts. On the physical side, I worked with our trainers and medical staff here at the club. The psychological part of it is very important and that’s why I worked with psychologists and the support of my family.”

The work that Chancalay put in to recover didn’t go unnoticed, head coach Caleb Porter highlighted how hard the winger worked to get back on the field.

“I’m real proud of Tomás [Chancalay]. It’s a long journey,” Porter said. “He was out nine months with an ACL. He worked really hard. He didn’t go on holiday over Christmas, he stayed and worked with our trainer. His hunger is going to really help us.”

His teammates also saw how much work Chancalay was putting in.

“Yeah, he [Chancalay] has worked really, really hard,” Matt Poslter said. “I don’t know if he took any days off to be honest with you. He probably wanted to keep going even when the [physical therapists] were telling him to take days off. So, he is somebody that was very motivated. As a player to be on his team, he’s just awesome to play with. He’s fun and he’s just a little bit different in a good way. He’s super spicy. I mean, just not his shooting, but his personality, it’s awesome. He’s a very big competitor and to see him on the field again is a great feeling. He’s someone that I really enjoy playing with, so I’m happy for him, I know the team was happy for him. It was a nice feeling to have him back on the pitch.”

Seeing the response and admiration from his teammates brought joy to the winger. While rehabbing from an injury can be a lonesome journey, Chancalay noted that he didn’t just work hard to get back onto the field for himself, he did so for his teammates.

“I’m happy because I did this not just for myself but for my teammates too,” he said. “Seeing my teammates and how they hugged and embraced me, and how they spoke of me last week leading into the match, that made me very happy. It helped me realize that I did a good job getting back. It was great, for me, that they saw my efforts so that they know that I’m here, I want to help the team, and I want to be here with my teammates.”