Dutch striker Collins John remained on the sidelines as the Fire returned to action after Major League Soccer's break for the World Cup, and there's reason to wonder why.
Coach Carlos de los Cobos couldn't offer much in the way of a reason after Tuesday's 1-0 loss to the Charleston Battery in the U.S. Open Cup.
``The information I have is that he has a physical problem. He's sick,'' said de los Cobos, who suggested the doctors examining John might be more helpful. ``It's a shame, because we're playing with two forwards (Brian McBride and Stefan Dimitrov). This guy (John) can't have continuous training. I don't know what happened.''
Another Fire official called John's condition ``complicated,'' and said a medical update will be coming from the club soon.