Charlie Davies Not On US World Cup Roster, Blames His French Club

FC Sochaux’s letter to U.S. Soccer explaining Charlie Davies was not medically cleared to play has the United States’ forward "very hurt, very sad" and “very angry,” according to Davies, who expressed his disappointment in an interview with French radio station RMC.

According to Davies, Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe wrote a letter to the U.S. coaching staff informing them of Sochaux’s opinion.

Describing himself as feeling “let down” by Sochaux, Davies sees himself as “ready to play” though not “100 percent.”

As published here:

“It’s frustrating because for the past months I’ve been training with the [Sochaux] team,” Davies said. “At the beginning it was not so well but I’ve progressed a lot, I continue to progress, I still have to progress but I’m definitely ready to play.”

“Bob Bradley called me the night before the selection was put out to the press,” Davies said. “He explained to me that Sochaux sent a letter saying they were not going to clear me medically and wouldn’t release me to go with the national team. And that this had a big part to play in not being able to select me.”

“I’m very angry because I feel FC Sochaux has denied me a chance at playing in the World Cup,” Davies said. “Of course I’m not at 100 percent now but I feel that by the time our World Cup camp starts next week I would be at a level where I can compete for one of the forward spots.”

“By the first game against England, I feel I would be able to be at 100 percent and really contribute for the national team,” Davies said. “So for me not being able to get a chance is very painful.”

FIFA requires that players be released by their clubs for the World Cup, so Sochaux could not have prevented Charlie Davies from being called into the United States’ national team. However, according to Bob Bradley, Sochaux’s diagnosis informed the decision to leave Davies out of the U.S.’s 30-man provisional squad.

Davies could still be named to the 23-man final team, should an injury to a rostered player require removal from the squad. In that instance, U.S. Soccer can replace the injured player. That replacement need not come from the 30-man provisional squad.

As always, Charlie Davis has kept us up-to-date via his Twitter:  congratulating his teammates; expressing disappointment; but as always, moving in a positive direction:

Charles Davies' quest to make the U.S. team for the 2010 World Cup seems to have ended, with the Sochaux striker omitted from the United States' 30-man preliminary roster.

U.S. Soccer announced the squad today, and the Sochaux striker, who suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries in an October car crash, was omitted from the team.

Davies could still find a place on the team as an injury replacement; however, he will not be with the team that's called into camp at Princeton university on Saturday.

As has been the case throughout the story, Charlie Davies is his own reporter:

Overly optimistic? Perhaps (perhaps not), but as Charlie makes clear in his tweet, his trajectory remains positive, as does his attitude.

A week after returning to the training pitch with his club team, conflicting reports have thrown American striker Charlie Davies' availability for the World Cup into question.

According to a story from Fifa.com, the medical staff of Davies' club team, Sochaux, have announced that the 23-year old striker will not be fit to compete in the upcoming World Cup, and likely won't return before the end of the team's season. But, per SI's Grant Wahl, US Soccer has denied the validity of Fifa.com's reports, and insists that nothing has changed with Davies' status -- meaning that there hasn't been a decision made either way.

As you may recall, the 23-year old Davies was the victim of a horrific car crash last October that he was lucky merely to survive, let alone be close to returning to top-class soccer so soon thereafter. Davies suffered a broken right tibia and femur, a broken left elbow, facial fractures and a lacerated bladder, and was expected to miss 6-12 months as he recuperated from his extensive injuries. Davies, however, has made an improbably rapid recovery, and refused to rule out the possibility of coming back in time for the World Cup. His return to practice with his club team at the end of April bolstered his hopes of getting back into form in time for the World Cup, but the nearly six months that he has been sidelined would seem to make such a return unlikely. Indeed, his club team has little incentive to lie about his status for the World Cup, and it seems more likely than not that Davies and US Soccer are hoping to delay the inevitable in deciding that he won't be able to play.

Still, Davies has shown throughout this saga that his ability to recover and his resolve to get back on the pitch should not be underestimated. We'll keep you updated on his progress.

Just six months after a catastrophic car accident seemingly put his career in jeopardy, United States striker Charlie Davies has improbably returned to the training field with his French club team Sochaux, per his twitter account.

The 23-year old Davies still harbors hopes of making enough of a recovery to return for the World Cup in June -- a feat that seemed wildly unrealistic a scant few months ago. To recap, Davies suffered a broken right tibia and femur, a broken left elbow, facial fractures and a lacerated bladder when the car he was a passenger in was totaled in a single-car wreck just outside of Washington DC last October 13th.

Charlie Davies, the 23 year old American striker who was in a devastating car crash on October 13, is planning on being back with his French club team, Sochaux, by the end of April.  Davies, who burst onto the men's national team scene last year, suffered a broken right tibia and femur, facial fractures, required surgery on his left elbow, and lacerated his bladder in a wreck in Washington DC days before the US was set to play their World Cup Qualifying match against Costa Rica. 

From Goal.com:

Charlie Davies has targeted the end of April as a potential comeback date for Sochaux after suffering a terrible car accident last October that instantly killed one of the passengers in the vehicle he was travelling in.

The American international star had a lengthy list of injuries but is well on the comeback trail, training vigorously and nursing only a problem with his left elbow.

“I think doctors are a little impressed,” he told les Lionceaux’s official website. “We’ve discussed the problems each week and each time they say, 'Oof! You’ve progressed far.’ I think they are optimistic about the fact that I'll play again. They all seem very confident.”

While his status for the World Cup was originally in doubt, Davies' speedy recovery has him planning his return well before soccer's biggest event gets underway.  He is one of four US stars (the others being Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, and Stuart Holden) racing to heal from injury and regain form before June's World Cup in South Africa. 

Nearly five months after a one car accident US soccer striker Charles Davies is looking forward to start training with his French club Sochaux in about one month.

“I’d say I’m probably a month away from being able to train with the team regularly, and then I need a little more time to be able to get match-fit again. So, you know, I’d say I’m not too far away from being able to play again.”

Davies' goal is to be able to play in this summers World Cup which looks to be a safe bet since it does not start until June.

To recap, his injuries consisted of two broken bones in his right leg, a dislocated left elbow, injuries to his forehead and eye socket, a broken nose, a fracture in his face, a ruptured bladder and bleeding on his brain. Plus Davies has two titanium rods inserted in his right leg and plates and screws in his left elbow as a result of his injuries.

Three months after a horrible crash involving U.S. forward Charlie Davies and a driver under the influence of alcohol that left Davies injured and another passenger deceased, Davies tweeted he was to undergo elbow surgery.

Can’t wait to be able to bend my arm again! Here we go

Along with his elbow, Davies is suffering from a lacerated bladder, a broken right femur and tibia and facial fractures.

Davies has been in rehabilitation to speed up his recovery for the World Cup that starts in over 120 days. No word has been released on how the surgery went, but the U.S. forward’s chance of competing in the World Cup is most likely still out of reach.

When we last heard from Charlie Davies, the 23-year old striker for the U.S. Men's National Team, he had just survived a horrific car crash. It left the car in a tangled, twisted mess of metal, and left Davies with a broken right femur and tibia, a broken left elbow, facial fractures and a lacerated bladder. Lucky just to be alive, Davies was facing a 6-to-12 month rehabilitation process, and the near certainty that his dream of playing in the 2010 World Cup was lost. But now, four months after the accident, Davies is already jogging and performing agility drills and is "light years" ahead of where the team's trainer expected he would be at this point. 

Amazingly, playing in this summer's World Cup is once again a very real possibility. 

Just how amazing? The multiple broken bones in his leg, face and elbow have healed. So has a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and he has recovered from bladder surgery, which left a foot-long scar on his stomach. He has regained the 15 pounds he lost after enduring six surgeries following the crash, and is days away from undergoing his final surgery associated with the accident, a procedure to remove a bone, plate and screws from his left elbow. After a week to recover from that surgery, Davies expects to be back training with Sochaux by the end of February.

If Davies stays on this rapid recovery schedule, he could rejoin his club team FC Sochaux by April, which means Davies could very well be in South Africa with the USMNT. But just being there won't be enough. 

"The World Cup is easy for me to be back for," said Davies. "I want to get back to France, and I don't want to just get back -- I want to be good.

"I don't want to be that guy just to make the [World Cup] team and just sit there. I want to be back and starting and scoring, playing well and doing the things I know I can do.

"People haven't seen the progress I've made, and maybe they don't know the kind of person I am and the motivation and new appreciation for being able to play that I have."

Not only is Davies' miraculous recovery amazing news for him and his family, but it also comes as some much needed good news for a U.S. Men's National Team that already has Oguchi Onyewu and Clint Dempsey rehabbing their own injuries. 

A U.S. Park Police detective wrote in the court papers that the driver told police that she drank alcohol before the crash and officers smelled alcohol on her breath. The driver, Davies and Roberta were last seen about an hour before the accident at a D.C. establishment that serves alcohol, the detective added.

Detectives describe the accident as being caused by distraction. The unnamed driver said she was adjusting her GPS unit when one of the passengers screamed, causing the driver to swerve right and strike the guard rail.

Davies has already began rehabilitation and told ESPN that he is hopeful of playing in the 2010 World Cup. He is recovering from two fractures in his right leg and a badly injured bladder.

The U.S. striker who was badly injured in a fatal car accident last week has been moved out of the intensive care unit at the Washington Hospital Center, according to Soccer By Ives.

Although there is more surgery to come for Davies:

Davies is still recovering from the multiple injuries suffered during a deadly car crash last week, but has been strong enough to receive and speak to guests and is set to undergo another surgery on his broken left elbow. He still may require operations for facial fractures.

Daily Soccer Fix takes the time to remind everyone that no matter famous Charlie Davies is, no matter how many goals he's scored or caps he's recorded, yesterday, he was just one of us.

Today, Charlie Davies is just a human being like any of us, doing what some of us sometimes must: negotiating an overwhelming cascade of fears, thoughts and emotions. 

Today Davies lies in ICU with a mangled leg, terrible internal injuries, various other physical ailments and a career that may be in tatters.  And then there’s an impending emotional undertow that, God willing, few of us will ever deal with.

He was in car with someone who died. No matter what the circumstances – and I’m sure we’ll know more later – it must be a terrible burden. 

So today, Charlie Davies is a man whose future is cloudy. What he’ll be doing for work in 12 or 24 months, he can only hope for and guess about right now.

In his case, there's an extra layer of tangled introspection ahead: I'm sure that he's happy to be alive, but his head is surely spinning with those difficult questions, something along the lines of "Why her and not me?"

Pro athletes live an entirely different existence, indeed – most of the time. There are times, clearly, when they aren’t so unlike the rest of us, men brought to our knees, at the mercy of our doubts, regrets and fears.

A pretty somber and sobering reminder of just how quickly a life can be changed.

While there’s still no word as to a timetable for his recovery, Charlie Davies’ family spoke out and expressed gratitude for the support their son has received from fans across the country. Here’s their official statement:

“The tremendous support the family has received is of great comfort and much appreciated at this difficult time. Our thoughts also go out to the families and friends of those involved in the accident. We would also like to thank all the staff at Washington Hospital Center in Washington D.C. and the staff at the United States Soccer Federation for all their tremendous efforts. Charlie is in a serious but stable condition and is resting after extensive surgery. If you would like to send any messages of support to Charlie we have set up an e-mail account at CharlieDavies9@yahoo.com. Thank you again and we will keep you informed when possible as Charlie continues his recovery.”

Sam’s Army, the U.S. Soccer fan club that organized the Charlie Davies support effort tonight, can be proud of their work: That tribute was pretty fitting.

Basically every U.S. fan, at least those that made their way onto ESPN’s broadcast, had the requisite No. 9 paper sign at the 9th minute. After full-time, the U.S. gathered and held up a No. 9 Davies banner. It was an impressive display.

In the meantime, after Costa Rica jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, the U.S. men fought back in the second half — including a stoppage-time goal by Jonathan Borstein — to net a 2-2 tie in a game they probably had no business winning. In soccer, ties like that are considered wins, and given that the U.S. will end qualifying at the top of the CONCACAF standings, they can officially consider the night a success.

SI’s Grant Wahl brings a bit more positive news on Davies’ condition:

At RFK for US-CR. Davies update: Described as being “responsive” (handsqueezes), still serious but stable cond. Wore seatbelt, in back seat.

News of a tribute to Charlie Davies during tonight’s match against Costa Rica has been circling around the web since late last night, but Washington Post’s Soccer Insider blog has the details … and the print-out.

Fans who are attending the game are being asked to print this out and hold it up during the entire ninth-minute of the match (which starts at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2).

The idea for the print-outs was formulated by the Baltimore Brigade, a group of US soccer supporters.

Grant Wahl confirms Charlie Davies’ injuries:

USSF on Charlie Davies: fractures to right tibia/femur, left elbow, facial fractures. Lacerated bladder.

Turns out that's not all, though. From Wahl's Twitter page:

Davies hospitalized at least 1 week. Added surgery will be required for left elbow, possibly facial fractures.

USSF: Titanium rods inserted in Charlie Davies' right femur/tibia.

USSF doc: Davies' injuries usually require 6-12 months recovery & long rehab. Due to CD fitness, chance to play hi level again improved.

Considering the seriousness of the crash -- the post-crash images are terrifying -- that's a pretty solid prognosis for Davies. Not only is he not at serious long-term health risk, but his soccer career isn't necessarily over, either, two positives to end an otherwise very negative day.

We haven’t seen this information anywhere else yet, and various other reporters (namely Grant Wahl, who’s as close to the U.S. Men’s National team as anyone) have yet to confirm these injuries, but here’s a report from a D.C.-area 5-o-clock news broadcast claiming Davies has a broken femur and tibula. Make of it what you will. (Though, if you ask us, most hospitals wouldn't claim their patient was in "serious" condition if his biggest problems were broken bones. But then again, we're not doctors.)

According to Grant Wahl, Davies was a passenger in the car:

Confirmed: Charlie Davies was a passenger in car. Woman who died, Ashley Roberta, also a passenger. Hope to learn more about driver.

From Grant Wahl:

More specifics on Charlie Davies expected after 9 pm ET. Family set to land from CA by that time. Davies was out after U.S. curfew.

That curfew touch is troubling, but we’ll wait for those details before we speculate even a little bit.

Washington Hospital Center Medstar is listing Davies in “serious condition” following lengthy surgery this afternoon. What does “serious” mean? Below are the American Medical Association’s standard conditions, listed from least serious to most:

Undetermined: Patient awaiting physician and assessment.

Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious and comfortable. Indicators are excellent.

Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits. Patient is conscious, but may be uncomfortable. Indicators are favorable.

Serious: Vital signs may be unstable and not within normal limits. Patient is acutely ill. Indicators are questionable.

Critical: Vital signs are unstable and not within normal limits. Patient may be unconscious. Indicators are unfavorable.

A hospital spokeswoman said Davies’s injuries were not life-threatening, and didn’t know how they would affect Davies’s playing career.

SI’s Grant Wahl is in touch with the Davies family and is reporting that Charlie is out of surgery. There’s still no word on Davies’s injuries; the hospital has yet to issue a report, and though Charlie’s mother told Wahl what she thought the surgeries were for, Wahl isn’t willing to report the third-hand info. More to come, we’re sure.

Steven Goff of the Washington Post’s Soccer Insider reports that Charlie Davies suffered a broken leg and internal injuries during this morning’s catastrophic car accident.

We’ll have more information as it becomes available.

Washington Post’s Soccer Insider Steven Goff says that a USSF spokesman called the injuries sustained by Davies “possibly” career-threatening. Although that may have gone without saying just by taking one look at the images of the car he was occupying.

Grant Wahl tweets:

Davies still in surgery for up to 90 more minutes, in stable condition. No other U.S. players involved in accident.