U.S./Sochaux striker Charlie Davies

[Jordan]

There's a chance--albeit considered by many to be a miniscule one--that this could be one of the best stories at the World Cup in South Africa.

Charlie Davies, footballer; a man barely alive...

In the early morning of October 13, United States national team forward Charlie Davies was a passenger in a fatal car accident near Washington, DC. Davies was in town with the national team, out after curfew and a passenger in an SUV that, well...

umm, yeah. Alcohol was a factor in the crash. One passenger died, and all things considered, Davies was lucky to have been in critical condition with severe head trauma, fractured tibia, femur and fibula in his right leg, a lacerated bladder, a broken nose, broken eye socket and a broken elbow. When his condition stabilized, his recovery was estimated at 6-12 months--and that was just for living normally, let alone resuming his professional football career. If all went well, his rehabilitation time following his recovery was estimated to be "extensive." A promising career and a chance to star in this summer's World Cup, all thrown away for one night of partying.

...Gentlemen, we can rebuild him...

But the determined Davies wasn't about to settle for those answers. He'd gone from being our country's fastest-rising soccer star to a patient in the ICU with a broken everything, yet insisted from day one of his recovery that he would get himself ready to play in the World Cup in June.

Doctors and therapists often say that professional athletes are more likely to recover from serious physical injuries than your average Joe. Their bodies are in much better shape and as such are able to heal quicker. They're more able to handle the rigors of rehabilitation as they're used to strenuous training--it's their 9-to-5, after all. Their mental strength--conditioned by years of trying to will themselves to be the best--helps recovery further. And if the patient can visualize a target for recovery (in this case, scoring goals in the World Cup), it's an even bigger boost (though he risks a serious mental letdown if the goal is not met).

But even considering all of that, Davies' recovery seems almost super-human. As if all of the other injuries weren't terrible enough, surgeons had to cut his scalp, pull down his face, reset the bones in his face and re-stitch his face back to his scalp.

...We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic man. Charlie Davies will be that man. We can make him better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster....

In November, he was in a wheelchair.

By the end of the month, he was out of the hospital and in a rehabilitation center, working with the USMNT's head trainer.

When he arrived at the center, he could not stand still by himself for more than five minutes. Later in December, he was able to walk without assistance.

He was jogging by January.

In February, the broken bones healed fully. Jogging became running, and running became agility drills.

In March, he moved his rehabilitation to France.

This month, he was cleared to leave his French rehab center and begin training to regain match fitness with FC Sochaux.

Last Wednesday, Sochaux's president said that Davies would not play this season. But last Friday, Davies had his first practice session with the first team since the car wreck, and yesterday he officially resumed full training with the first team.

...and all the while, even during those difficult early days, Davies insisted on two things: 1) that he'd be back on the pitch for Sochaux this season and 2) he'd not only be ready to play in the World Cup, but he'd be ready to perform at the highest level.

The USSF and national team manager Bob Bradley have been cautious with their words about Davies. They've never explicitly ruled Davies out of the World Cup and have offered lots of support to him, but their comments are always tempered as if to avoid both making Davies overconfident while not dashing his hopes. In February, Davies met with Bradley for the first time since the crash--a difficult meeting for Davies, who had some 'splainin' to do about the circumstances that caused his injuries--but Bradley left the meeting offering a deal: he would invite Davies to the U.S.'s pre-World Cup training camp in New Jersey if the forward could get himself match-fit in May. With four games to go in Sochaux's season, he still has a chance to make an appearance for the first team.

Against all odds, it looks like Davies is holding on to his end of the bargain.

I know a World Cup comeback is still nearly impossible, but every prediction everybody else has had has been wrong, Davies has said he'd do up until this point, he's done. Even if it takes Davies a little longer to come back than he hopes, his recovery is still inspirational--but at this point, if he says he'll be back, who am I to doubt him?

Come on, Charlie!

(...now get back on the pitch, Aleskandar Tunchev, you big girl's blouse )

[Ford Super Sunday]

You got a link for that article? My Yankedoodle friend would love to read it, she's mad about the national team, and has been banging on about CD.

[Edmund]

Wow, I remember reading about his accident not so long ago and from what I gathered he wouldn't ever play again.

That is indeed a miracle, hopefully he gets a goal at the finals.

[Jordan]

There were two articles put on The New York Times' website last night:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/sports/soccer/27davies.html?pagewanted=1&ref=sports (actually the featured article on the front page when it was first uploaded)

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/q-a-with-united-states-forward-charlie-davies/ (interview)

This is a good article from February written by Ives Galarcep--perhaps the best soccer writer in the U.S.--for ESPN:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/4856256/ce/us/charlie-davies-remarkable-path-recovery?cc=5901&ver=us

[Samilktray]

Thats some inspirational shit.

Might just start an MM on Fifa with Sochaux now

[StanSP]

If anyone wants a story of inspiration, ambition and recovery, this has got to be it.

I remember reading about this and thinking this guy's career is over.

But this is truly amazing that he actually has a possibility of playing in the World Cup. Well done to him for having the mental strength to get himself back to a fit state.

[Guest Bilo]

Genuinely amazing read and best of luck to him in the future I say.

He must be one hell of a strong character to do what he has done, so let's hope he can help USA to qualification from their World Cup group. In second place of course.

[Tony Pine]

i knew he'd been in an accident and had read he was due back. didn't realise the severity of it. good on him.

[dandannieldanok]

So he broke a curfew, got drunk, got himself into a car crash......and now the best doctors and treatment in the world have gave him his career back.

Well done son you did good......

[Jordan]

So he broke a curfew, got drunk, got himself into a car crash......and now the best doctors and treatment in the world have gave him his career back.

Well done son you did good......

The best doctors and treatment in the world obviously can't save him from your sarcasm, which must surely be most injurious of all. Much more so than a lacerated bladder, smashed-up face, br... well, you get the point.

[SOCCERROO FOX]

Saw a segment on him on the weekend quite good i had never heard of him previously.

[Tony Pine]

http://www.skysports.com/football/world-cup-2010/story/0,27032,12098_6133095,00.html

he's out of the running

[Jordan]

Proper journalists have reported last night--and confirmed by the USSF--that there's no credibility in that story whatsoever. Davies in fact passed his first big medical test with Sochaux this week. However, there's still certainly doubt that Davies will feature for Sochaux in their run-in or be one of the 30 players picked for the preliminary roster. If Davies is fit enough now to at least be ready to play for a half come June (and concerns about fitness for guys like D Oguchi Onyewu or MF Stuart Holden as well as question marks about the wing back positions.have been alleviated), it might be worth at least a shot to invite him to pre-WC training camp as a team morale booster, at the least. There should still be space on the 30-man roster to invite Davies even with forwards Edson Buddle (9 goals in the first six games for LA in MLS) and Herculez Gomez (leading scorer of the Mexican first division clausura with Puebla) getting invited to camp.

And as for Davies taking away a potential camp (World Cup, even) invitation from a fit player? Let's face it--anybody who's not considered to be seriously in the mix to make the U.S.'s 30-man squad, let alone the final 23-man roster, isn't good enough anyway.

edited to correct typos

[Tony Pine]

your team is wack anyway so it shouldn't matter too much

[AmericanScott]

your team is wack anyway so it shouldn't matter too much

You'll see when USA thrash England 6-0

Thankfully, i'll be on holiday for that so i can support both.

[Jordan]

your team is wack anyway so it shouldn't matter too much

That team we had in 1950 was, no joke, atrocious

[Jordan]

Davies didn't make the 30-man roster; Sochaux physios say he's not cleared to play yet and the USSF medical staff take their word for it.

Oh, well

[BoneDog]

I don't think I've ever heard of a recovery like this before (apart from Robocop). He must have some determination! It's amazing and is an absolute miracle how he survived, let alone made this recovery after seeing the picture of that SUV.

It's a shame he never made the 30 man squad, I was rooting for him while I was reading that article!

[Fox You Forest]

I don't think I've ever heard of a recovery like this before (apart from Robocop). He must have some determination! It's amazing and is an absolute miracle how he survived, let alone made this recovery after seeing the picture of that SUV.

It's a shame he never made the 30 man squad, I was rooting for him while I was reading that article!

Not relevant to the thread but just watching Sky News and you mentioning Robocop, taking a closer look at Gordon Brown's missus, she looks a little like Murphy.

...or maybe not.

[BoneDog]

I just got 2 google pages up to compare and on some pics they are like twins! I forgot Murphy was the bloke so expected a pic of his partner to come up!

[Jordan]

haha

Robocop actually manages the U.S. national team and picked the Davies-less 30-man roster:

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Was named on Sochaux's bench last night, unused sub.