With one day of training with the Black-and-Red under his belt, United States National Team forward Charlie Davies is ready to begin his D.C. United adventure in earnest. Tomorrow Davies will compete in United's first intrasquad match of the preseason, as Head Coach Ben Olsen and his staff begin to evaluate the young forward over the next week. According to Davies, he is ready for the challenge and is genuinely appreciative of the opportunity before him. In his first Q&A with D.C. United, the 24-year-old discusses the road ahead and United's passionate supporters.
How does it feel to be back Stateside?
I'm very happy, very excited to be here. This is a great opportunity for me, so I'm thankful that I have the chance to prove myself. I'm excited to be with D.C. United and to meet everybody, and I look forward to new challenges in this atmosphere.
When you look ahead to the next week, what is your mentality heading into your evaluation period with D.C. United?
I just want to go out there and do the things that I have always done. Of course I haven't played a real match at a high level in over a year, so there are a couple of things that I need to get better at. But for the next week it's all about proving myself, and I'm excited to go out there and to show the guys that I still have what it takes to be successful.
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You looked comfortable out there today, was there relief when you were told that your paperwork had gone through and you could train with the guys?
It was great to get out on the field and strike the ball a little bit. I wanted to go out there today to get ready, get my feet settled and under me for tomorrow's inter-squad match.
When you look ahead to tomorrow's intrasquad scrimmage, what are you hoping to get out of that scenario?
I'm really excited to see how I can gel with the guys and I want to go out there and do the best I can.
Looking at your interaction with certain guys on this team that you know from international duty (Santino Quaranta, Dax McCarty, Josh Wolff, etc.), it seems like you are already comfortable in camp...
I think I'm extremely lucky to come to a team like D.C. United where the guys are relatively young, and where everyone is part of a great group. Everyone has been really supportive of me coming here and working out with the team, so it's been great. Just the confidence they are giving me already before I even get into a game situation has been unbelievable.
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What about Ben Olsen - what is it like playing for someone you know from the international level?
For me I think it's a win-win situation. I'm in good company with Ben Olsen. Ben has played, he gets it, he understands. He knows where I was, because he's seen me play a couple of times and we were together for the Copa America in 2007. It's a perfect situation for me and he knows what it takes. Ben will get the best out of me because he will push me to the point that I need to be pushed.
Lastly, our fans are perhaps the most passionate supporters in MLS. Many of them follow the U.S. National Team closely. What does it mean to have such a strong fan base behind you during your trial period?
I'll never forget that Costa Rica game two days after my accident. The fan support has been amazing. You really can't even put a word on the support they have shown me, and I'm really thankful. I would love to earn the chance to repay their faith, and I would really like to thank them for everything. [D.C. United] fans are some of the best to play in front of, so it would be a huge opportunity for me to play in front of them and show them what I can do.
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