Chicago Fire midfielder Michael Videira returns after "scary" concussion

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- Michael Videira’s late game substitution for Joel Lindpere in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Red Bull was a good sign.
The 90^th minute entry marked his first return to the field since suffering a concussion in a clash of heads with teammate Maicon Santos late in the team’s 0-0 draw at Sporting KC on March 16.
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The concussion was the second of Videira’s career. He previously suffered from the same symptoms following a collision in a Fire training session in May 2011.
Prior to the collision, Videira put in a strong shift at right back in the team’s impressive defensive performance to take a point from the difficult environment at Sporting Park.  
“It’s scary when it happens,” he told Chicago-Fire.com. “Afterwards every day is kind of different and you’re never quite sure how it’s going to be. I had blind spots in my vision for the day afterwards. That was a weird one for me.
Videira suffers concussion vs. SKC (3/16/2013)




“You’re not able to do much of anything that you’re normally used to and the everyday tasks that you take for granted.”
Videira was cleared to play again last week but has been wearing a rugby helmet in training and games as part precaution and part reminder of the past injury.
“I think I still feel apprehensive to go into headers without the helmet,” he said. “When you get caught up in the game and the moment it’s tough to shy away from a tackle, a header or a cross that maybe you shouldn’t go in on.
"The headgear is there to remind me in training. In games it might just be sort of a habit right now, just to keep it on and stay consistent with the training sessions.”

READ: AthletiCo Injury Report
Videira isn’t the first Fire player to don the rugby helmet as captain Logan Pause wore it for a month and a half following his concussion in June 2011.
“It doesn’t really throw me off. After Logan wore it in 2011, I think they tweaked some of the design to make it a lot more comfortable. They got rid of the buckle underneath and trimmed the ears out so it feels pretty natural.”