Last week, with time winding down against Montreal and the Fire looking to secure a point on the road, Johan Kappelhof entered the game in the 87th minute to replace Boris Sekuliu0107.
The veteran Dutch defender had played thousands of minutes for the Fire to that point -- 11,106 of them to be exact -- but those three against the Impact were significant. The appearance marked the end of the longest absence of Kappelhof’s Fire career, having not played since the Club’s 1-1 draw at New England on March 7.
Kappelhof injured his quad while training from home after Major League Soccer temporarily suspended the regular season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, then dealt with unexpected setbacks as the season resumed in July and August.