Charlie Davies failed in his attempt to make the U.S. World Cup team seven months after nearly being killed in a car crash.

Despite being sidelined since a hamstring injury April 1, Houston forward Brian Ching, a Kamehameha Schools alum from Hale'iwa, was picked for the 30-man U.S. preliminary roster.

"I was kind of relieved," said Ching, who has 44 caps and 11 goals as a member of the U.S. national team since 2003.

The team gathers next week for training camp, and coach Bob Bradley will select his final, 23-player team from the list before the Americans leave for South Africa on May 30. The Americans open against England on June 12.

Sidelined since the Oct. 13 accident, Davies, a forward, was not selected.

"Charlie has shown so much heart in his work to get back from his injuries," Bradley said in announcing his decision on ESPN News. "We've monitored all his workouts. We've had people there. We've observed him and he remained part of the consideration right up until yesterday."

NFL

CUSHING TESTED POSITIVE FOR HCG

Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing tested positive for HCG, a fertility drug that is on the NFL's banned substance list.

A person familiar with Cushing's case told The Associated Press yesterday that Cushing had one positive test last September, then subsequently tested negative several times. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the test results were supposed to remain confidential.

The NFL has suspended Cushing for the first four games of the season. He won the AP's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honor in January for outstanding on-field performance. Now, the AP is taking a revote for the award, as well as All-Pro outside linebacker because Cushing made the second team.

TENNIS

FEDERER IMPROVES HIS PLAY ON CLAY

Defending champion Roger Federer improved his clay-court game, defeating Benjamin Becker, 6-2, 7-6 (4), yesterday to reach the third round of the Madrid Masters.

The top-seeded Federer is seeking to regain his form on clay ahead of the French Open. He lost his first clay-court match of the year at the Rome Masters before exiting the Estoril Open at the semifinal stage.

"I'm happy with the way I reacted after all that happened in the last few weeks and months," Federer said. "The moment the match started, I felt great. I was hitting the ball fine, and I think the center court here just feels right to me."

U.S. DAVIS CUP TO PLAY COLOMBIA

The U.S. team will travel to Colombia to try to keep its spot in the top tier of the Davis Cup.

The U.S. was drawn yesterday to face host Colombia in the World Group playoffs from Sept. 17 to 19, with the winner advancing to next year's top flight and the loser going into the second-tier zonal group.