Whether it is a case of a club president looking out for his team’s investment, or a cold dose of reality less than two months before the World Cup, today’s statement from Sochaux president Alexander Lacombe that Charlie Davies won’t play for Sochaux again this season still came a harsh reminder that Davies’ comeback can’t be taken for granted.
“(Davies) won’t play again this season in Ligue Une,” said Alexandre Lacombe, Sochaux’s president. “He is fine and that is the important thing. Since leaving his wheelchair he has gone through a lot to get fit again, but it’s early to say when he will play again.”
Davies has been targeting an early May return to first team action, but he hit some physical roadblocks that have put into doubt whether he will be ready in time to play for Sochaux this season. Now, the odds of him making it back in time to take part in the U.S. national team’s upcoming pre-World Cup training camp, and be ready for this summer’s World Cup, appear to be grow longer.
"It's already miraculous when you see how far he's come," Sochaux team doctor Philippe Pasquier told SI.com. "Charlie had a great deficit on a muscular level and a huge lack of strength after the accident, so he needs to work on lots of things.
“He's a very dynamic, explosive, type of player and to get those qualities back is not something that comes overnight. Obviously, the World Cup is a huge goal for him. It will be difficult but we are still holding out hope.”
Davies became a popular U.S. national team player after scoring some clutch goals last summer, but he captured the hearts of American soccer fans with his gutsy recovery from a car accident that left another passenger dead and left him with multiple broken bones all over his body. He made the World Cup his motivating force and made unbelievable strides in his recovery, which led to an increase belief that he would pull off the improbable comeback.
Now, we have been dealt a harsh reminder that there is no way to know just when Davies will be completely recovered from the multitude of injuries he suffered, no way to predict when, or if, he will be able to regain the ability that had him on the fast track to stardom before that fateful night last October.
Truth be told, part of the reason there has been a widespread desire to want to believe Davies will recover by the World Cup is because of the team’s desperate need to have him back. The U.S. team’s need for better forward options is well-chronicled, and even with the recent success of prospects Herculez Gomez and Edson Buddle, it has been much easier for American fans to hold out hope of Davies making a miraculous recovery rather than accepting the reality of the team’s forward pool.
The news of Davies’ struggles won’t come as a shock to U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley, who has been supportive but realistic about Davies comeback attempt. Bradley has been careful with his comments whenever asked about Davies, always praising his determination in trying to recover, but always falling short of offering any comments about whether a comeback was a realistic possibility.
Bradley knows what Davies means to his team. His infectious personality and brashness made him one of the most well-liked figures on the national team, and his comeback has inspired and motivated his teammates. That, almost as much as the attributes Davies can bring to the field when healthy, was what made Davies’ comeback so important for the national team.
What these latest developments will do is make people realize that Davies’ comeback can’t be taken for granted, and that as much as we would all love to see him in his familiar No. 9 jersey on June 12 against England in South Africa, he still has much to overcome in an ever-shrinking timeframe.
The comeback attempt isn’t officially over yet. In fact, Davies delivered another positive message about his recovery via Twitter on Thursday, the same day Lacombe’s comments were made public.
“Just to let you all know I'm progressing very well & lucky not to have had any setbacks & I'm working extremely hard every day. Believe!!!!!”
U.S. national team fans will keep believing in Davies, and keep hoping he can overcome the obstacles holding him back right now. With U.S. camp just three weeks away, and the team’s final pre-World Cup friendlies just a month away, Davies is facing long odds to make it back.
That is nothing new for him though. Davies has been facing long odds ever since his mangled body was removed from the wreckage of a demolished car just six months ago. He will keep pushing and keep fighting to hold on to his dream of South Africa. It is that spirit that makes it easy to root for Davies, but is also what makes it tougher to accept the possibility that he may not make it.
Ives Galarcep is FoxSoccer.com's newest senior writer who will be covering U.S. Soccer and MLS.
