Friday News & Notes: Ching Recovering Well

Some Friday news and notes to help get you to the weekend:

Ching Back in Training

Dynamo and USMNT striker Brian Ching is practicing once again, two weeks after suffering a hamstring strain against Real Salt Lake.  He's not yet back to full strenghth, just doing some ball work and running, but he appears to be upbeat about the recovery process, saying:

"If you said I'd be running and doing all this when I first hurt it I would have been skeptical.  I'm recovering pretty good...Hopefully I can continue on this rate and I'll be back sooner than I expected."

Going along with what seems to be a theme this cycle, Ching appears to be on his way to a smooth return from injury ahead of South Africa, welcome news to Bob Bradley and all of the USMNT fans worrying about the final roster.  If he is healthy, I fully expect him to be on the plane to South Africa, and this development seems to indicate that that is very likely at this point.

Bradley Expected to Call More Than 23 to Camp

This isn't a big surprise, given the injury uncertainties surrounding several key players, but it's being reported that Bradley will in fact bring more than 23 players to the May USMNT camp.  Though Bradley will announce a preliminary 30 man roster by May 11, he won't necessarily bring all of those into camp (in fact, it'd be pretty unlikely for him to do that).  But expect a handful beyond 23, with late chargers like Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez currently making their case for one of those spots.  

The location of the camp has not yet been revealed, but it's almost a foregone conclusion that it will be on the east coast given that the send-off friendlies are in Hartford and Philadelphia.  The team will have enough time in South Africa prior to their group opener to acclimate to the high altitude, so that won't be a concern when choosing the site.  For the sake of proximity to USSD (based in the City of Brotherly Love, for those who don't know), I'm holding out hope that Bob will head back to his alma mater and choose Princeton, NJ.  I wouldn't be surprised, though, to hear Cary, NC in the mix.  

Hahnemann Expects to Play Into His 40s, Discusses an MLS Move

Talking to Sky Sports, the Wolves and USMNT keeper said that he feels he's in the best form of his career and believes he can play on into his 40s.  Hahnemann also discussed the possibility of moving back Stateside to finish out his career in MLS, naming his hometown of Seattle as a possible destination.  He went on to mention that with Pacific northwest cities Portland and Vancouver coming into the fold next year, it might be an enticing option in the summer of 2011.  Hahnemann did go on to state, however, that he is very happy in England, where he has spent the last 11 years of his career, saying "I just can't see me going back, everything is just too good here." 

He's been one of the main reasons that Wolves have climbed out of the relegation zone and are on the brink of guaranteeing safety, and he has essentially assured himself of a return to the World Cup with that stellar play.  While, as an MLS fan, I'd love to see another quality American come back home, it sounds as if he's content to remain where he's at, so I won't be holding my breath.  Then again, if his rise from Wolves backup and World Cup fringe player to EPL starter and USMNT #2 have shown us anything, it's that a lot can change in one year's time. 

Soccer Hall of Fame Still Looking For a Home

A group in Kansas City is trying to bring some of the Soccer Hall of Fame to the midwest, helping to relocate the museum that was forced to close its doors in Oneonta, NY last year.  The proposal would bring the moved memorabilia to the Kansas City Wizards' new soccer-specific stadium, due to open in Wyandotte County, Kansas some time next year. 

Jonathan Ullman, president of the Soccer Hall of Fame, has stated that there haven't been any specific discussions to this point, but he made it a point to explain that they will likely pursue a policy of decentralizing the museum, distributing the Hall's contents amongst several soccer communities across the country.  

Davies and Faty Chat

Not really news, but here's a fun chat from the Ligue 1 website between Charlie Davies and Sochaux teammate Jacques Faty.  

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Enjoy the afternoon, everybody.