Charlie Davies entered training camp with D.C. United last week with his head on straight and a chip on his shoulder. Just like any other trialist. Who happened to have once been just months away from starting for his country in the World Cup before suffering devastating injuries in a city he would later try to play for.
When I spoke with Davies via conference call last week, he gave all the right answers. I asked him about possibly being the last remaining missing link necessary to help United score more goals in 2011 and maybe even return to the playoffs. Davies wanted none of it.
As far as now, I think my goal is to show that I'm ready. That I have what it takes to help the team. That's all I'm thinking about right now.
The goal of just making the team could be accomplished in the next few days. According to Steven Goff, Davies will be in D.C. for a medical evaluation tomorrow, and the team is expected to make a final decision on whether or not to add the forward to the roster by the end of this week. And so this thrilling and unexpected saga will conclude, either positively or negatively, just a few days after it started.
Its hard to resist reading too much into this new information. Has the team already decided to keep Davies and are going through the medical review process as a mere formality? Or has United already decided that Davies isn't worth the risk and isn't worth the money ($300,000 or so, per Goff) and are just looking for a good excuse to cut the guy loose without causing PR problems in the U.S. Soccer community that desperately wants Davies to be back to full strength?
Either way, I don't read anything into the fact that Davies didn't play in the preseason match against Florida International University earlier today. It was a match meant for United's reserves. Kurt Morsink, Devon McTavish, and the like. Andy Najar and Dax McCarty didn't play either. Davies' one goal and one assist against the Canada U-20s is what we need to be focusing on. Even if they are just kids.
Its crazy to believe that this will all be over soon. Will we be celebrating the addition of yet another talented young option for United? Or will we be left depressed, feeling as disappointed as we all felt after the home opener a year ago?