U90 midweek soccer brief

Alot going on in soccer right now, so I present to you the

Or is that more of a pantie? Anyway:

• The US national team suffered a devastating setback just days after qualifying for the World Cup. At 3:3o on Tuesday morning, starting forward Charlie Davies was severely injured in a fatal one-car accident on DC’s George Washington highway. Davies, 23 years old and a major factor in the national team’s sudden sprouting of a pair of balls,  underwent emergency surgery for fractures in his lower leg, face and  elbow. The recovery is expected to take 6-12 months, so Davies’ participation in June/July’s World Cup is highly unlikely.

• Rocked by the Davies news, the US National team played their hearts out last night and came back from a 2-0 halftime defect to tie Costa Rica in DC’s RFK stadium. With Jozy Altidore starting in Davies place up top, Micheal Bradley (the coach’s son) scored in the 71st minute and fullback Jonathan Bornstein headed home the stoppage-time equalizer in the 94th minute to earn the draw.  Although the team had already qualified for the World Cup, the draw means they finish as the winner of the CONCACAF (North & Central American) group.  Highlights:

• To make matters worse for the Yanks, stud central defender Oguchi Onyewu tore tendons in his left knee, and will be out for 3-4 months. “Gooch” ‘s club team AC Milan are now seeking compensation from the US Soccer Association for his injury. Oy.

• In better news: Argentina is in! They locked up a spot in South Africa with a sloppy 1-0 win at Uruguay, thus guaranteeing a Cup spiced up by Leo Messi’s brilliance and Maradona’s ego.

• For the first time in 27 years, Honduras is in! Despite the ongoing political crisis (or because of it), the people are (very VERY) happy!

• As predicted, Portugal made like Mussolini and bombarded Malta to win 4-0. As with Mussolini’s seige, the Maltese people shrugged it right off.

• For complete qualifying news, including all the teams that are in, check out the BBC’s excellent coverage.

• Barcelona forwards Thierry Henry (France) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) were both injured in their respective country’s qualifiers.  Henry is expected to miss 10 days with a calf strain, while “Ibracadabra” could be good to go for Barca’s big game on Saturday at Valencia.

• The injuries add juice to rumors that Barcelona will be getting Brazilian foreward Robinho on loan from Manchester City in the January transfer window. ‘Binho’s skill is undeniable, but whether Barca coach Pep Guardiola can get the kid to mature will determine if the move is a wise one.

That’s it for now. Stay tuned for that US soccer piece and a return to club action this weekend!

JP