I made a point a couple of days ago to look at some of the comments attached to a report on D.C. United. I wanted to gauge the public temperature on Charlie Davies, who desperately wants to get back into U.S. national team good graces.
Charlie Davies and the Gold Cup roster: in or out?
Which is convenient, because Bob Bradley’s program could darn sure use a forward capable of scoring goals, stretching defenses and doing all the hurly-burly that goes with being a striker at top level. In short, the United States needs exactly what Davies was two summers back.
Unfortunately, Davies isn’t that guy right now.
He might get back there, but “might get back” doesn’t get you on a team. It shouldn’t, anyway. But there’s tremendous interest in the guy, who had become the next great U.S. striker hope before his devastating injuries of October 2009.
If it were my call, I wouldn’t name Davies to the Gold Cup roster (which should be released on May 23, if not earlier.)
And if I were a wagering man, I’d bet a Krugerrand or so that Davies won’t be on the 23-man list. Read on for the “whys and wherefores.” …
Davies’ strained hamstring probably makes it all moot, anyway. Still, I see that there are plenty of good U.S. supporters out there who still support the idea of Davies’ inclusion. “He’ll be back in two weeks, right? Why not put him on there?”
Here’s the thing: There is an emotional element to all this. We love good stories. And Davies’ remarkable comeback isn’t just a good story, it’s a great one. So we cheer for the guy, even if he does have a history of make some dunderheaded choices. (Why we pull so hard for athletes who can’t seem to get their %#*% together and can’t seem to take proper advantage of the fabulous opportunities granted them, well, I suppose that’s a whole other jar of pickles.)
But Bradley, as I’ve written before, simply cannot consider emotions when he chooses the roster. He has to consider three things: performance, roster compatibility (in terms of what position they play and locker room chemistry) and the ability to contribute something toward a team goal.
Suggestions that Davies’ appearance on the roster would somehow be an emotional, inspirational rally point for the team are simply misguided. I’m sure the other American players like the guy; I have no evidence to the contrary. But he’s not The Gipper, for heaven’s sake. It’s not like he’s such an important figure that his absence will be a major bummer. In this case, it’s just silly to suggest that the site of Davies in a U.S. shirt will somehow inspire better performance from a bunch of pro athletes.
Bradley went to RFK Stadium last weekend to gauge things for himself. That tells you something on its own. If Davies had done enough in his previous matches for D.C. United, the coach wouldn’t need to go see him for further evaluations.
Here’s what Bradley was probably looking at: what is Davies doing off the ball? Is he helping his team with quality runs, some bent on opening space for others? Is he reliably working into good spots for others to find him? Is he making an immediate, quick transition from offense to defense? Is he working to win second balls? What is his body language when the ball doesn’t come his way?
Because if you listen to Bradley, he has always insisted on these things from a forward. It may be a little bit of a sliding scale; if you can score goals with the proficiency of Ruud van Nistelrooy at his best, then maybe you get a little bit of a pass on the other stuff. But how many van Nistelrooys have we seen in the U.S. shirt? Right. So you have to do the other things.
Davies has six goals this year. Three came from the penalty spot. One was a gift. As Houston coach Dominic Kinnear told me about his forward, Will Bruin, whose hat trick included a couple of fairly routine finishes, “You still have to score them.”
Fair enough. But Davies just isn’t there. I’m not seeing that signature burst of speed applied throughout a match. I don’t see him creating enough opportunities for himself. I still see a first touch that doesn’t look as sharp as it needs to be.
And finally, I see a guy who goes to the ground a little too easily rather than fighting to keep his feet and make something happen. (FYI, he’s getting a rep for that, and it will hurt his team in the long run.)
He’s a good MLS forward at this point. But I’m not sure he’s a good international forward.
There are World Cup qualifiers ahead. Just because Davies isn’t on the Gold Cup roster, that doesn’t mean he can’t play a vital role in qualifying. To put him on the team now might even be counterproductive, a reward unearned.
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