NEW YORK — 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.

Ching 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.

Sidelined since the Oct. 13 accident, Davies, a forward, was omitted today.

"Charlie has shown so much heart in his work to get back from his injuries," Bradley said in announcing his decision on a live broadcast 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."

Players will gather next week for training camp at Princeton, N.J. The Americans leave for South Africa on May 30, and open the World Cup against England on June 12.

A 23-year-old from New Hampshire and Boston College, Davies was in his first season with Sochaux in France when he was seriously hurt in a crash on the George Washington Parkway in Virginia that killed another passenger. Davies had a broken and dislocated left elbow, a broken right femur, tibia and fibula, and a broken nose, forehead and eye socket. He also was left with a ruptured bladder, and bleeding on the brain.

Still, he worked furiously in rehabilitation and expressed confidence he'd be ready for the World Cup.

"In the end of it, we also had information from his club whereby he had hadn't been given full medical clearance and therefor was not given full release to join the camp," Bradley said. "So when we put that together with everything we just felt that right now, Charlie, it's in his best interest to continue his rehab and continue so that he can get back to level that he was playing last year before the accident. "

Two forwards came from off the radar to earn invitations to the camp in Princeton, N.J.: Edson Buddle of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Herculez Gomez of Mexico's Puebla. Eddie Johnson also was picked for forward after scoring three goals for Aris in the Greek playoffs.

Midfielder DaMarcus Beasley, a veteran of the 2002 and 2006 World Cup teams, was selected despite not starting for Glasgow Rangers since March 9.

Colorado forward Conor Casey, whose two goals at Honduras clinched a World Cup berth last October, was omitted, as was Aris' Freddy Adu.

Buddle, a 28-year-old from New York City's Westchester suburbs, has made just one appearance for the national team, getting 11 minutes as a substitute in an exhibition seven years ago. Gomez, a 28-year-old who was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Las Vegas, played twice for the national team for a total of 67 minutes three years ago in the Copa America.

Buddle leads Major League Soccer with nine goals and Gomez became the first American to lead the Mexican league in scoring, tying for the high with 10 goals. Neither was even listed in the U.S. team's 2010 media guide at the start of the year.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England).

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes, France), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Clarence Goodson (IK Start, Norway), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan, Italy), Heath Pearce (Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham, England).

Midfielders: DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro, Sweden), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany), Ricardo Clark (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus, Denmark), Stuart Holden (Bolton, England), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico).

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Hull, England), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Brian Ching (Houston), Robbie Findley (Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla, Mexico), Eddie Johnson (Aris, Greece).