Charlie Davies’ Recovery From Horrible Accident Inspires Revolution
CARSON, Calif. – Charlie Davies is setting records for the Revolution. But what would Davies have accomplished had he not been involved in a debilitating auto accident five years ago?
“To talk hypotheticals, you don’t know,’’ Revolution general manager Michael Burns said. “There’s not a person on the planet that’s not happy for Charlie and the story is remarkable. And for him to not know after the crash to, first of all, health-wise, how he was going to recover and how he was going to be.
“But to be playing again – in the beginning of this year he wasn’t playing regularly. But all of a sudden he gets on a roll and he’s been playing really well for us lately, and you have to be happy for the guy. Who knows how things would have played out if he’d never had the accident? Who knows if he’s playing in MLS, if he’s not playing in MLS, if he’s playing for the national team? But for him to take this step back and to be playing for us and to be playing this well.’’
Davies has scored four goals in the playoffs, a team post-season record, leading the Revolution into the MLS Cup final against the Los Angeles Galaxy Sunday.
Davies’ output has been remarkable, especially since he has had to adjust to playing in a lone striker role.
Two years after the accident, Davies scored 11 goals in 26 games for D.C. United. But Davies was clearly not himself in 2011. Nor had Davies found his form in 2012, when he returned to Europe, and last season, when he joined the Revolution.
Time might not heal all wounds, but it has done wonders for Davies, who now believes he is nearly back to “his old self.’’ An insert in his high-top shoes, compensating for one leg being 1-½ inches shorter than the other following a series of operations, has also helped. Davies said the 20-yard strike off the inside of the post in the Revolution’s 4-2 victory over the Columbus Crew in the playoff opener Nov. 1 was his first from outside the penalty area since the accident.
So, what if Davies had been able to follow a natural progression from October 2009 to now? He is setting records now. Maybe he would have set more?
“You’d like to think so,’’ Burns said. “If you go back to how he was before, he was getting called into the national team regularly and doing well. It’s taken a long time to recover and he feels he’s finally back physically and, probably more importantly, emotionally.
“He did well (with D.C. United) and that just shows the level of talent he has, to be able to come back and knowing he’s not physically as gifted as he was then. That’s not easy and he’s done remarkably well. It is the intangibles. Before the accident he relied so much on his physical gifts and it’s still like that to a certain degree But he’s had to become a little bit more of a complete player because maybe he’s lost a quarter of a step. But he’s still pretty quick and fast.
“I’m sure this has given him a renewed kind of confidence in himself and in his game,’’ Burns said. “He’s worked really hard to get back and it’s a great story and hopefully it will get even better (Sunday).’’###
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