Injuries concern US team

Associated Press

PRINCETON, N.J.

Before wrapping themselves in the red, white and blue, the U.S. soccer players surrounded themselves with orange and black.

Players began training for the World Cup on Monday at Princeton University’s Roberts Stadium, a $13.4 million soccer facility opened two years ago by the alma mater of U.S. coach Bob Bradley, who also coached the Tigers from 1984-95.

Even on the first day of workouts, there were injuries that caused goalkeeper Tim Howard (quadriceps strain), defender Jay DeMerit (abdominal strain), forward Eddie Johnson (hamstring strain) and defender Chad Marshall (slight hamstring strain) to be in the trainer’s room instead of sprinting across the lush, green grass, where pennants marking Ivy League titles and NCAA tournament appearances flapped. Defender Carlos Bocanegra (abdominal strain) did ball work on his own.

“We’ve had long seasons, all of us, and guys have some knocks,” said Howard, the starter for Everton in England. “There’s no reason to rush anyone into it right now. Everything is just precautionary.”

Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle and Jose Torres weren’t around at all, getting physicals after reporting Sunday. Four players based in Europe were still due to arrive late Monday or today.

And there were still questions about one player who won’t be coming, forward Charlie Davies.

Davies thought he recovered sufficiently from a near-fatal car crash last October to merit an invitation only to learn last Tuesday he had been omitted from the 30-man preliminary roster.

Bradley said he made the decision based on input from U.S. trainers and the staff of Davies’ French club, Sochaux. Bradley even viewed a video of Davies in a recent training session in France.

He understood Davies’ anger last week.

“There’s a lot of emotion at that time,” he said. “From right after the accident until now, you know, he put all his energy and emotion into his rehab, and he did it, you know, with an obvious timetable.”

As for the group that’s here, Bradley isn’t worried — just yet — about the injuries. But he will keep watch.

“We assess as we go through this week whether some of the issues are already on their way to being better and guys are back in training,” he said, “or whether it then becomes more of a concern.”

The team leaves for South Africa on May 30 and has a final exhibition against Australia on June 5.