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.
Davies Hurt, Sad, Angry At Sochaux For Threatening To Withhold Clearance
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.
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