By FRANCO PANIZO
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Wednesday completed D.C. United's first week in South Florida, and it also marked Charlie Davies' seventh day with the club as he looks to land a season-long loan deal.
Davies, along with most of the team's top players, did not play in Wednesday afternoon's 4-0 victory over Florida International University in a 60-minute friendly, but head coach Ben Olsen did touch on Davies' near-week trial with the club following the game.
"It's getting better every day. Physically, he looks good," said Olsen. "He's obviously been out of the game, and when you're out of the game as long as he has, there's rust, and it's a matter of us getting some of that rust off on the soccer side. But he's done just fine. He's a great kid, fits in with the team and again all those intangibles. I don't have to worry about him."
While Olsen had mostly kind things to say about Davies, the first year head coach was noncommital when asked whether or not Davies had done enough to secure the loan he's been trialing nearly a week for.
"We're certaintly going to continue looking at him, and continue our evaluation, and then there's a lot that goes into that stuff, so we're not sure what the story is right now," said Olsen. "I'm sure we'll finalize some type of situation, whether it's him going back or staying here in the next couple days."
Expected to go to D.C. for a full medical evaluation sometime this week, Davies was at Wednesday's game, but was in street clothes. He left with a member of DC United in a van at halftime of the 4-0 victory. Davies was not available to speak to the media.
SIDENOTES: Towards the end of Wednesday's 4-0 win, D.C. United midfielder Junior Carreiro suffered an injury to his left ankle. Carreiro was in severe pain as the medical team tended to him, and he was unable to walk off the field under his own power.
Goal summary of D.C. United's 4-0 win over FIU:
12' Stephen King
15' Yang Men (Kurt Morsink)
31' Brandon Barklage
53' Branko Boskovic (Chris Pontius)
What do you think of Davies' first week at D.C. United? Believe Olsen and D.C. United will keep Davies? Concerned by Carreiro's injury?
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