Sochaux The World: The Davies Saga 3

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

So is Eddie Pope.

The key is their 2009 contributions to the US where I would argue Davies's exceeded Onyewu's.

With the exception of the badly broken leg, the rest of the injuries (if on a level below life ending) were neither singularly nor cumulatively threatening to end his soccer career.

So, it was Onyewu's ligament tear vs. Davies's broken leg bones.

Each occurred within a day of another.

Davies actually started to jog earlier, as expected with the bone healing.

The strongest impact of his total injuries had on the recovery of the muscle mass, i.e. strength and speed/acceleration.

Once the body is fully healed, the rest is a relatively easy process. As people had pointed out, a healed bone is often stronger after the surgery. A ligament problem can linger throughout the player's career.

Ask Danny Califf how irrelevant mobility is for a central defender.

I mean, we are not talking about someone who was Carl Lewis before his injury.

They were taken away less by the injuries than by the inactivity forced by the injuries but the inactivity and the temporary loss of muscle mass is usually completely recoverable for someone of that age.

It's the soft tissue - muscles, cartilages and ligaments - injuries that can become chronic.

Plus, Onyewu has a heavier body weight, which is a hindrance in knee/ankle recoveries.

1) Since this is YA board, there's a huge problem with Davies' club situation. With all the fans complaining about this and that player not getting enough PT, Sochaux's actions are nearly unprecedented.

This may degenerate further and will likely cause Charlie to move on.

2) As a soccer fan, I wanted Charlie at the World Cup and at his peak. Having him tackled from behind on this issue is disheartening to me.

3) As someone with interest in the US soccer, I thought and said long ago that rapid ball movement and quick counters was the best way for the US to play. Davies, upon his introduction vs. Egypt, was proving to be the missing piece of the puzzle.

This, more than anything, warranted him receiving another chance.

4) A US head coach absolutely can not yield to the unreasonable club demands. A US team member needs to understand that his federation is behind him and will fight on his behalf.

In this regard, Bob sold him down the river.

This will also effect future player-coach-club relationships.

5) Davies was a popular team member, who participated in the qualification campaign and his discarding could impact the team chemistry.

Charlie vented publicly. Other may keep it hidden but their dislike for the decision is expected to be largely negative.

6) The US depth at forward is putrid. Davies was one of two US strikers receiving a constant PT in one of the world's top five leagues. Without him, the US barely tied Costa Rica at home, and then lost at Slovakia, Denmark and the Netherlands with his replacements failing to excite.

And I could go on.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

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Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Once again, I am going to offer this article published on April 22. After this, the only people who thought Charlie might make it back are Charlie and a few folks on the internet. This was a little over three weeks ago.

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com...is-season/8751

Charlie Davies hopes of making the World Cup roster took a significant hit today, when his club announced that he will not feature in a Ligue 1 match this season.

“He won’t play again this season in Ligue 1,” Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe told local paper Est-Republicain on Thursday. “He is fine and that is the main thing. Since leaving his wheelchair, he has gone through a lot to get fit again. But it’s a bit early to say when he will play again.”

He has returned to training, but the progress hasn’t been as good as team officials would like.

“It’s been very hard for Charlie, as every time we up the workload, he gets very tired,” Sochaux coach Francis Gillot told L’Equipe.

And once again, I offer a video of a huntin' dog.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9JQQtwPNLk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9JQQtwPNLk[/ame]

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Emotions are running way ahead of the cold factual analysis on this matter, so props for reminding people that this was not out the blue, there were hints along the way.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Question: why isn't it also in Sochaux's interest for Charlie to go to the World Cup if he were capable of doing so? His story would bring significant media exposure for the club, increasing the value of their brand. If he performed well in the cup, the value of his contract with the club would increase. So to believe that there is a conspiracy to hold back a fully fit and fully healthy Charlie Davies, you have to also believe that Sochaux is acting against its own best interests.

The more logical answer, of course, is that they have real concerns about where he is in his recovery, and his ability to play the cup.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Interesting bit of news I had missed. FIFA will pay every club that has a player at the WC what we could call injury money.

"After years of club versus country conflict, football's world governing body today agreed to hand over $40 million (£24 million) to clubs whose players compete in next year’s World Cup finals."
"...this was a compromise move in exchange for clubs agreeing not to take any grievances to the civil courts."
"The money will be paid 15 days before the start of the tournament and up to one day after the players' participation in the World Cup ends."

http://www.insideworldfootball.biz/...orld-cup&catid=45:south-africa-2010&Itemid=57

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

That's roughly $54k per player - chump change (except f/ a ManU or Chelsea).

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Not all of the players will get injured.

At once.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Most of those are just reactions and observations, none of which are novel and nearly all of which I share. I'm as dismayed as anyone that Davies won't be playing in the World Cup.

But I don't think the gazillion preceding posts are simply a gazillion different expressions of "I'm disheartened" or "I'm worried now about World Cup tactics." All this back-and-forth seems to be about "proving" something, and I can't figure out what that something is. That's why I asked what the purpose is -- what is the underlying argument in all this. And your #4 above is the only one that really goes there.

So I'm safe to assume that's what it is? It's about proving that Bob Bradley is a weak coach who sells people down rivers?

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Not sure if you were responding to me or not, but I meant that for a team that has 1 or 2 players in the WC it's nothing. For a team like Chelsea where most of their players are in the WC it's something. So you're right - Chelsea won't lose all their players at once, but they have money for each one in the cup to compensate for the one that may get injured.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

I thought about this for a day.
Is this Conor Casey's World Cup? How about Frankie? Pablo?
Ronaldinho (two time fifa player of the year)? Pato? Adriano? Neymar's?
Francisco Totti's, Luca Toni's?
How about Ruud van Nistelroy?
What about Owen Hargreaves?

It's not is it?

Despite all the spin and hyperbole, Charlie is not so unique.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Goff: Bob Bradley comments on Charlie Davies

BTW, nice thread title.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Interview with Charlie's father here.

Relevant passages:

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Emperor Bradley has no pants. Is it too late to fire him and call up CD9? I think Klinsmann is available.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

From Goff's article:

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Oh, for God's sake. This is getting ludicrous.

Some of you need to seriously get away from this situation, breathe some reality for a bit, and come back with clear heads. You are seriously in the weeds with this thing. It's getting goofy.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

This from the guy, if I'm not mistaken, who said he'd rather lose with Charlie in South Africa than win without him. If Bradley has no pants, it's because you stole them and are walking around in them.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

I am, indeed, that guy--but how do you know I'm not a gal.

By the way, the pants fit well. A little tight in the waist area, but otherwise quite sleek and comfortable.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

You are correct. I don't know if you are a guy or gal, so forgive me for being presumptuous.

The pants would have to be comfortable since they are, no doubt, sweat pants.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

Perhaps, but Chuck is now pissed at his club and pro players don't often stay around a club they no longer want to play for...

So this could be a lose-lose... Chuck doesn't get his WC and Sochaux now may have a disgruntled player who wants off the club...

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

I confess: they're denim manpris.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

No disrespect intended, I believe you have this backwards.

Charlie should be grateful to have a club that stood by him following the accident. The typical pro players contract now has terms regarding behavior that may have been violated in October. There still has been limited evidence that he can perform at the level and promise which he showed prior to his accident. Despite, all of the well wishes,physical trauma to the extent which he suffered is very difficult to return from.

I mention Jay Williams as a player (NBA) who never recovered. It was not until many months later that his effectiveness at the highest level could be determined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Williams_(basketball)

Many months later, after it was clear Williams would not be returning to the Bulls for some time (if at all), he was waived. The Bulls could have refused to pay Williams (since he violated his contract by riding a motorcycle), but instead they offered a buyout worth approximately $3 million. At the time, it was not clear that he would be able to return to professional basketball, although he continued to train toward that goal

On December 30, 2006, Williams was waived by the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League due to injury.

Certainly, we all wish Charlie the best and godspeed in returning. In my opinion, it is a grevious error for Charlie to be anything less than absolutely great to the team currently honoring his contract.

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

"So bottom line here: Sochaux did have the right to deny Davies’ release. Yes, U.S. Soccer could have pressed the case and insisted on its own medical examination. But given the uncertainty of it all, and based on personal evaluations done in late April by
U.S. fitness coach Pierre Barrieu, the U.S. federation saw no point in making an issue of it.

In other words, if Davies is so far from being ready to contribute that Sochaux can’t even grant medical clearance, the chances that the young U.S. striker could contribute in a World Cup were virtually nil.

http://www.dailysoccerfix.com/2010/5/14/1472420/fc-sochaux-did-have-the-right-to

Sounds great, right? But there are still some things to clear up.

Number one, his father's saying that he passed all fitness tests, and Sochaux DID clear him and then did a 180.

Number two, the author says, "In other words, if Davies is so far from being ready to contribute that Sochaux can’t even grant medical clearance..." This is making an assumption. Davies wasn't needed by Sochaux in the last game or two of this season, so they had zero motivation to grant medical clearance.

Number three, what about the famous president's statement a while ago. Didn't Sochaux immediately say that was his "personal opinion" and not based on conversations with trainers? Was the president one of these guys who say "did you see the pictures of the SUV?" as if there's a nine month prognosis if the vehicle is cut in half, seven if it's just pushed all the way in.

Number four, apparently Bob did say on video that he would look at Charlie in camp *after* his trainer had been to Sochaux and had a look in late April, and he told Charlie that Sochaux's moves were the reason he wasn't brought in. All this stuff about Charlie *definitely* not being ready or capable of being ready soon by US assessment has been firming up more and more *after the fact.*

 

Re: Sochaux Sad: The Davies Saga 3

I doubt his contract had a curfew clause or a 'don't ride in cars with girls clause'. The only thing Charlie did wrong was break a US imposed curfew, if his club had decided to terminate his contract there would have been a massive lawsuit. Jayson Williams and many other athletes have clauses that deal with them knowingly engaging in risky behavior such as skydiving, riding motorcycles, etc. How are they going to put in a clause that deals with hypothetical bad situations?