The game against Costa Rica was supposed to be a celebration.
The U.S. men's national team had already secured its bid to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The heavy lifting was already done. There was no objective, no pressure for the Americans heading into their final qualifier Wednesday night in Washington, D.C., other than to enjoy a sixth consecutive World Cup appearance in front of their home fans.
Suddenly, none of that seems very important.
Not after the news that U.S. forward Charlie Davies was involved in a tragic car accident early Tuesday morning that claimed the life of one passenger, 22-year-old Ashley Roberta, and left Davies and another passenger severely injured.
When placed in the context of such tragedy, soccer takes a backseat. And rightfully so. The mood at RFK Stadium Wednesday night will be more somber than celebratory, reflecting the events of the last 36 hours. But Bob Bradley still has a job to do against Costa Rica. Only now he has to do it without a player who had recently established himself as a regular in the national side's starting 11 as well as its natural No. 9.
It wouldn't be entirely true to say that Davies' ascension in the national ranks, however rapid, came out of nowhere. He was no stranger to the youth national sides and his name was always among the first spoken when pressed to identify one of America's most promising talents. He possessed a mixture of physical strength and pace that needed only some professional polishing and tactical refinement to form a devastating mixture.
To do so, Davies disappeared off the radar of all but the most ardent U.S. fans. After a brief college stint at BC, he spurned the MLS to embark on the European professional odyssey that has swallowed up other talented American players.
He headed to Hammarby in Sweden, where he struggled initially but eventually found his footing and excelled. He remained on coach Bob Bradley's radar, receiving sporadic call-ups, but it wasn't until the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June that he made himself a permanent fixture on Bradley's squad.
The opportunity for Davies to shine actually arose out of disaster. An opening-game loss to Italy, followed by an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil, meant the Americans needed a convincing result in their final game to have any chance of qualifying to the group stages. It also meant Bradley needed to mix things up and find a spark.
Enter Davies.
It started against Egypt on June 21 in the final game of the group stages. Davies was given the start and scored the U.S. team's opening goal in an eventual 3-0 win. It was an awkward sequence that certainly wasn't one for the highlight reels, but it opened the floodgates for what became a historic run of play for the Americans. They went on to beat Spain in the semifinals before falling to Brazil 3-2 in the final -- with Davies starting each of those matches alongside Jozy Altidore.
After the Confederations Cup, U.S. fans were convinced they'd finally found the strike partnership they'd been hoping for in Davies and Altidore. They'd finally found a blossoming and imposing forward tandem to compete on the world stage.
However, a funny thing happened on the road to South Africa 2010. Whereas Davies left the Confederations Cup as the newly minted 1B to Altidore's 1A, he wasted no time forcing himself to the forefront of Bradley's thinking.
It started in the Estadio Azteca on Aug. 12 in a World Cup qualifier against Mexico. It was there in Mexico City that Bradley started Davies alongside Brian Ching, leaving Altidore to play the role of super sub. Davies rewarded his coach's confidence with a clinical finish that gave the Americans a shocking early lead. The U.S. would go on to lose 2-1, but the message was delivered: There was a new No. 9 in town.
(No. 9 is usually the number given to a star striker or the best striker on a team.)
By the time the Honduras match arrived on Oct. 10, the surprise heading into the game wasn't which strike partnership Bradley would select -- by now you could be sure Davies was going to be in the starting 11. The unknown was who he would opt to play alongside Davies (which actually turned out to be a pleasant surprise in Conor Casey).
Davies was part of the buildup that led to Conor Casey's second goal against Honduras in a 3-2 win that secured America's passage to South Africa. To be sure, he missed a wide-open header in the first half courtesy of a Stuart Holden cross. He then skied the ensuing rebound over the crossbar, when he had the goal at his mercy.
But the miss, however shocking, wasn't followed by cries for his dismissal from U.S. fans. Not after the Confederations Cup. Not after the goal at the Azteca. Rather, it was followed by a wink and a nod that suggested, "Wait till he gets a few more games under his belt and he'll be putting those away for fun." Unless of course, the unthinkable happens.
Fast-forward to today. The unthinkable has happened. Davies underwent surgery Tuesday afternoon for his injuries, which included a broken leg, lacerated bladder, a fractured elbow and facial fractures. Early estimates put his recovery at 6-12 months, making his participation in next year's World Cup very unlikely. We don't know what kind of rehabilitation he faces when he's released from the hospital. We don't know if he'll be able to return to being the same player he was after rehab. We don't know the details that led to the accident. What we do know is that he's lucky to be alive. And we also know that during his absence, we'll be left to wonder what might have been.
Conor Nevins
