Davies Gunning for USMNT Spot
- Updated: November 4, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – For the last five years, Charlie Davies felt like he was playing an endless game of catch up with the rest of his teammates, whether it was overseas or right in his own backyard.
While it took 16 months for Davies to return to the pitch following the Oct. 2009 car crash that nearly killed him, he recently admitted that this winter will be one in which the sole focus is on soccer.
“This is really the first offseason where I can just look to get better, and not have to worry about my body,” Davies said. “That said, I’ll still have to work on my body to get faster, stronger and quicker.”
The 29-year-old striker is coming off a season in which he not only scored a team-high 10 goals, but stayed healthy throughout – the first time he’s been able to do that since the accident.
For Davies, his ability to stay injury-free couldn’t have come at a better time.
“These are the crucial years for me,” Davies said. “These next couple of years where I’ll be at my best, and when you’re at your best, things tend to be flowing, and going the way you want.”
Even so, Davies isn’t just aiming to succeed at the club level. While he’s the first to say that the success of the Revolution is first and foremost, that doesn’t mean he isn’t eyeing an opportunity to poke his head back into to the U.S. Men’s National Team picture.
“It’s always a goal, that goal will always be there,” Davies said. “It’s definitely a motivating factor for me in continuing to get better. I think I’ve made leaps and bounds as a player, so the goal is to get better and hopefully get that shot.”
Davis said he’s confident about getting another crack at the National Team, even though his last cap came at age 23, and more importantly, prior to the accident that derailed a career that had international stardom written all over it.
“I do think a shot will come, eventually,” Davies said. “I just have to be ready for it, and I think I will be.”
Although he said he hasn’t spoken with U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann “directly,” he’s been given plenty of indications that another call-up is imminent.
“I’m very close with a lot of the players on the team,” Davies said, “and they all seem to think that I’ll be getting a shot, so that’s also a good motivation when you hear your peers and former teammates say that you’re looking great and you deserve a shot.”
Davies said he feels like he’s coming into his prime, and now that he’s declared himself fully healthy, he’ll be working with Revolution strength and conditioning coach Nick Downing during the winter. The aim: to set the stage for Charlie Davies’ best season ever.
“I’m going to work as hard as I can during the offseason, and come out with a bang next year,” Davies said. “I just have to keep working hard and understand that it’s showtime for me, and I have to step up and really take a big a responsibility for taking this team back to MLS Cup.”
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