Courtesy of and heads up by Greg Seltzer of No Short Corners comes word from Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe that Charlie Davies will not play in Ligue 1 this season.
This is a definite blow to Charlie's World Cup chances, if only because the lack of first team playing time in a competitive situation leaves Bob Bradley with plenty of work to do in May. Davies, provided he's called into US camp, will not have played in a match since October; if he was returning from a knee injury (ala Oguchi Onyewu) or another run-of-the-mill soccer ailment, that might not be a problem. But because Charlie's comeback has been so difficult, Bradley needs as much evidence that he's at adequate capabilities as possible.
I've stated before that as long as Davies can run and kick a ball, Bradley has to call him into camp at the very least, partly because public sentiment will demand it. That's not to say that Bradley is beholden to the fan base, just that a camp spot for Davies is the least needed to see where Charlie stands and if he's capable of contributing at the World Cup. This setback now makes that camp spot a must, because there will be no other opportunity to assess Davies progress.
But what about the 23-man roster? This news doesn't help, but it doesn't mean it can't happen either; it just means we'll have to wait to see how Davies performs in camp before having any sense of his chances.
When expectations, and recovery timetables, are set aggressively, there's always a chance for setbacks and disappointment. It looks like Charlie has had one of his first (allowing for the possibility that something is lost in translation, or that there's someone else at Sochaux who may decide Charlie will play); next is how he responds and how Bradley views the news.
It isn't over for Davies' World Cup chances, but this isn't good news for them.
*UPDATE*
Apologies for not getting this up sooner. Greg Seltzer did some digging, and determined that Lacombe's comments are not reflective of anything other than his own opinion. There is no club mandate that Charlie be held out, so there is still hope he could show up in a season-closing match for Sochaux. Check out No Short Corners for more.
