Abdominal ailment sidelines Convey

D.C. United star midfielder Bobby Convey aggravated an old abdominal injury playing for the U.S. national team in Saturday’s 4-0 exhibition win over Honduras and was examined by a specialist in Washington yesterday.
An ultrasound showed no new damage and team officials believe Convey’s discomfort was from scar tissue.
Convey’s latest abdominal ailment is cause for concern. Convey played in only 12 matches last season before undergoing surgery on July13 to remove an abdominal hernia.
“We think it’s just an irritation that he’s afflicted by and nothing new,” said United coach Ray Hudson,
Convey, 18, replaced DaMarcus Beasley at left-flank midfield in the 62nd minute on Saturday in a lopsided game that was essentially over when Convey stepped onto the pitch. Hudson said Convey and star playmaker Marco Etcheverry (calf strain) will not travel with United to Guatemala to play Comunicaciones tomorrow in the first leg of CONCACAF’s Champions Cup.
“It’s over and I can’t say anything about it,” Hudson said. “It’s a lousy break for [Convey] and the team. We’ll go on. That’s the game, one door closes and another one opens.”
To offset Convey’s and Etcheverry’s absences, United called up midfielder Mike Burke from the Richmond Kickers, United’s A-League affiliate, and invited 17-year-old rookie midfielder Justin Mapp, who has not yet reported, to provide depth.
Etcheverry’s injury isn’t considered serious and he is expected to be available for the March13 match against Comunicaciones at RFK Stadium. Convey and Etcheverry join an injury list that already includes forward Jaime Moreno and midfielder Ben Olsen.
This is Burke’s second tour of duty with United. The club drafted the 25-year-old in the fourth round (41st overall) of Major League Soccer’s 2000 SuperDraft and waived him on May 26, 2000. In 1998, Burke scored nine goals in nine consecutive matches for the Charleston Battery and was named A-League rookie of the year.
United drafted Mapp with the fourth overall pick in February’s SuperDraft. Mapp, who is still attending Northwest Rankin High School in Brandon, Miss., has not trained with the club and Hudson believes this trip is a good way for Mapp to get accustomed to his new teammates.
“[Mapp] may give us a spark off the bench,” Hudson said. “We need bodies, but we’ve got enough ability in our squad to mount a challenge down there [in Guatemala] and wear our colors proud.”