Charlie Davies joined club team FC Sochaux on Monday for the next phase of his rehabilitation. He is going through individual training with a physiotherpist right now and is still two-to-four weeks away from taking part in team training.
Davies is just five months removed from a deadly car accident that left him with multiple broken bones and put his World Cup hopes in serious doubt. He still hasn't completely recovered, and it remains uncertain hether he can return in time for the World Cup, but his progress to this point continues to impress.
And if he comes back and fails does that hurt the team?
Reserve matches are not a competitive environment. They are for other guys like him, veterans pacing themselves coming back from injury and untried newbies.
Everyone has drunk the Kool Aid on Davies and forgetting just how hard it is to play in a World Cup even if you are at the top of your game.
Davies was hardly a veteran international before his accident. You are all expecting way too much too soon and someone is going to have to stop this train before someone gets hurt.
Then he doesn’t belong on this squad.
In a World Cup very few teams can afford to carry a “passenger” as the English call it. Someone who is just along for the ride.
If all Charlie can do is be a gloried cheeerleader then he has no business being on the roster. He’s going to have to show a lot more than 20 minutes at the end of a blow out.
He’s going to have to show he can bring the qualites that made him a star, speed, strength, power,aggression and a relentless attitude. Otherwise, take Bedoya.
After 4/19 IF he is in full training and getting the chance to sub or start in the final 5 matches at FCS, and training at the WC camp and playing/subbing in the tune up matches (WITH NO SET BACKS). He starts in SA. Just My opinion. That means from today he has 2 1/2 months to make the England game. Today on twitter he said “Never Have I been so happy to be so tired!! Ran 3 miles yesterday & 4 miles today!! Ball work this afternoon.”
Like one of the posters said he had minimal ligament damage. As far as saving him for WC2014 or WC2018 if he is not healthy I agree but 2 1/2 months is plenty of time.
Yes, I agree. Davies is a big time game breaker. In American football terms he is like Randy Moss, the way his pure speed and skill set can completely change the game at any moment, even if he hasn’t done anything wothwhile the whole game, he can change it at a split second. Moreover, he makes everyone on the team that much better as oppossing defenses always have to worry about his speed.
at most there would be 5 french league games and 3 national team games before june 12
im sure Davies wouldnt mind if he was 85% recovered as long as the injuries dont include joints (elbow/knee). He does have 4 years to recover for the next world cup.
you’re kidding me right? Ching is by far our best playmaking forward by miles when not including Donovan and Dempsey.
The one thing that people can’t underestimate is the psychological impact Davies has being in SA. While I’m not saying our attack is impotent without him, as much credit as Jozy, Donovan and Dempsey deserve, CD provides a missing piece of the puzzle, a spark that gives LD Deuce and Jozy that much more room to break out.
Plus, his return will give the entire team tremendous inspiration and something to rally around and it would be one of the major sideline stories of the tournament.
Even if he comes of the bench or starts for only 20 or 30 minutes at a clip, it will provide a spark to everyone else and raise their game accordingly, and every indication seems to point at him being at that level of fitness come May.
Besides, by the time we reach the final, he’ll be fit for a full 120, plus penalties. ;0)
Davies should be back for the WC. And once he gets back up to fitness, he should be fine as far as athleticism is concerned. He only broke bones with no lasting ligament damage, so he should be as fast as ever. He will be rusty when it comes to finishing and things like that, but I’ll be happy when I see CD9 coming off the bench for that first appearance back with the MNT
yepper. so how many games could he concievably get in on in the French league if he returns to the 18 in mid april…4, 5 or 6?
Buddy – it’s a play on words. It means although he was injured, he was never out of contention for coming back as a player. A few said he was done or he’s out of a year, this is saying he was always a Terminator who was coming back for more. You have to feel the optimism : )
Davies will be ready for the World Cup. The only question for me is going to be whether he can regain enough fitness to start, if not i’ll gladly take his efforts as a sub (around 20 minutes or so). If the US can advance into the knockout stages his fitness and stamina will probably increase after each match and he will be a starter by the time that happens.
I personally believe he will get a couple sub appearances for Sochaux and then get more playing time as a sub vs. Turkey and the Czech republic. By time Australia comes around he will be good to go for at least 60-65 minutes. But thats just my prediction.
That’s how I see it too. And a davies playing in reserve matches is a more worthwhile roster addition than the rent-a-forwards or a fifth center mid.
Another factor working in his favor is that sochaux isn’t in a relegation battle, so they can afford to work him into league matches without risk. Holden and bolton will hopefully be able to do the same.
Agreed. I don’t know if it’s realistic to expect him to be a full-blown 90 minute starter every game in SA. But who knows, I hope I’m wrong.
But, if healthy, he could easily be an impact player for 15-30 minutes. That’s the underside of any projection I’d hope.
It should be noted that Charlie has so far been 100% accurate in his self assigned time table of getting back to the field. If he gets on the pitch in April, there’s no question he’ll be in South Africa, though at this point I have him at a lock.
Go, Chuck!
he will make the WC but not as a starter, dempsey will be our forward and miracle charlie will sub in for 15-25 minutes a game.
Even if Charlie isn’t “100% match ready” he should be on the WC roster, IMO. He doesn’t even need to make the bench for a single WC match, just having him around the team and experiencing the WC would a big boost to the USMNT, both inspirationally in 2010 and experience for 2014.
Or they could say 2-4 days…based on recovery speed thusfar
I would think that as soon as he is medically cleared to play and has any bit of stamina, he will at least be logging a lot of minutes in reserve matches. so even if we dont see him playing much for the first team, he will be getting competitive matches in before the WC.
it’s great to see his continued progress, but before someone can realistically pencil him in to the Starting Line-Up, let’s see him 1) get on the field 2) play more than 10-15 minutes at a time 3) play well.
A full speed CD is a lock, no one will argue, but at 80-85% it’s more of a question mark on whether it’s best to have him there or a Dempsey/Donovan
at 60% he’d still be better than the Johnson/Casey/Ching/Cunningham/Fndley turd sandwich deluxe
if he never left, why would you be happy with 15 minute appearances? If it aint a comeback, and he never left, then he should be playing 90 as he was before the accident.
And I think the whole theme of this situation is “Don’t call it a comeback, I never left.”
Once he gets back to full training on 4/19 – I find it very hard to believe he gets in the first two games, even as a sub. The guy has been out 5 months, hasn’t been in a competitive situation with the ball, you’re rushing him too fast with that. I’d be satisfied with two substitute appearances of 25 minutes plus.
If we play Davies at the WC, he’s going to give it his all. We don’t want that because that’s when injuries happen (see Michael Owen). He still has two World Cups in him – don’t want to see him lose another 5 months with problems.
I say, unless it’s a miracle, we don’t play him but for 15 minutes at a time.
I don’t want “potential” playing in the later stages, you need skill and experience. Pre-injury Davies has the skill – not sure where the experience is going to come from up top… Maybe we’ll see Dempsey or Donovan move up as a striker to compensate.
Guys let’s say it is exactly 4 weeks so that means on 4/19 he is ready for full training. Looking at the FCSochaux schedule they have 5 matches left after 4/19. If he can train and play during those last 5 matches, take part in the camp in late May and play in the Turkey, Czech Rep and Aussie games before the WC with no set backs he is in the starting XI vs. England IMO. That plenty of time for him (with no set backs) to be ready to go. We are pulling for you CD9! Bring it on.
I’ve got tickets to the Turkey match in Philly. Boy, would I like to see him playing by then. My only concern is that he may have lost some of his speed or skills because of his devestating injuries. I hope not.
Please, please be closer to 2 weeks. It will be amazing to see him playing again even if it is just training. Think he’s a lock for the squad for the Turkey/Czech matches if he’s training regularly? Maybe a 10-20 minute cameo?
We need Davies to come back. cause none of the fowards matchup to his playmaking skills. The only close one is Eddie Johnson and if Bradley puts dempsey up top with altidore. Dont bring ching, casey or none of the mls fowards. Findley or Cunningham didnt impress me in none of the frindlys, espacially findley aganist the netherlands. Also bring back Beasley
based on everything else he’s done thus far, you should just say he’s 2 weeks away from training. even if you said he was playing tomorrow i wouldn’t be surprised, one of my all-time favorite athletes no matter how he plays when he comes back
Not taking anything for granted, but we should make it to the knockout stage of the World Cup. As long as Davies doesn’t have any setbacks, he will be on the roster since his potential is so high.
It’s still an amazing story that he has come this far since the accident.