It's been six days since US National Team forward Charlie Davies was seriously injured in a car accident that took the life of a young woman. As I've written, and as others have reiterated, the situation Davies finds himself in is sad and unfortunate.

But by no means is Charlie's plight a "tragedy", at least not in the way I understand the word. Davies will make a full recovery, and still has a good chance of returning to playing high-level soccer. The tragedy in all of this is the death of a young woman, Ashley Roberta.

To better remind us comes a brief profile piece on Ashley Roberta from the student newspaper of her alma mater, the University of Maryland.

• The Portland Timbers, despite their ongoing stadium renovation drama, are getting down to the business of marketing the team for the 2011 move to MLS. The Oregonian gives a glimpse of the campaign, which involves a subtle early approach to better avoid burning out the community on something that won't be coming for almost two years. Part of that subtle approach involves branded foosball tables in locals bars and restaurants. Clever or just plain odd?

• The USL/TOA drama should be bigger news in American soccer circles; the resolution (whatever it may be) could have serious long term ramifications for professional soccer in the United States. Of course I'll keep covering it in this space, passing along what I know or find elsewhere. There is an update, indicating that a breakaway league seems more likely than a reconciliation with USL on the part of TOA. Several other teams below the USL-1 level are dissatisfied as well, meaning that the saga has taken on a new wrinkle. I'm of the opinion that MLS will have a part to play in the final act, I'm not just not sure on what level it might be.

• I get a kick out of "fixing soccer" pieces; I know it's a weakness, I just can't help myself. There's a masochistic element there too, as I'm generally cursing the writer in anger by the third paragraph. The inane attempts to "Americanize" the game never fail to suck me in, and I never fail to get angry; so here's a good (bad) one, to which I say STOP IT!. On the flip side of that coin today is a piece that takes elements of soccer (rules, pro/rel, player transactions) and applies them to the NBA. We started heavy, we should probably end light.

Deep Cuts appears every weekday, and highlights American soccer-related items from around the web. If you have a story for Deep Cuts (even shallow ones), you can send it along to matchfitusa@gmail.com.