Charlie Davies may or may not make it back in time to join his US National Team cohorts on the field in South Africa. The clock is ticking, and while Charlie seems close full health, other factors could dictate his exclusion. There is no doubting, however, that everyone involved, from the coaches and players down the fans and casual observers, are standing in Charlie's corner, rooting him on to a miraculous appearance at the World Cup. We desperately hope it happens, for Charlie.
But regardless of Charlie's actual physical presence, his story will have a strong influence on the Americans come June. Davies is attempting to do the impossible, and come beck from a near-death experience while shaking off the psychological impact of a car accident that tragically took the life of a young woman; that fact, be it capped by the ultimate success of a miraculous return or the disappoinment of coming up just short, will always, and understandably, be on the mind of Bob Bradley's team.
How could it not? When Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, and eight others take to the field against England in Rustenburg, we'd have to believe them capable of singularity of focus on a superhuman scale for Davies' saga not to be at the front of their minds. What this means, in terms of performance, is debatable; either the Yanks will find themselves freer to play their best, the perspective provided by Charlie's situation a benefit to clarity and concentration, or they'll find it difficult to zone in on the task at hand and be less than they should be. As fans, we hope it's the former even as we should understand if it's the latter.
Either way, this American team will have their perspective properly adjusted. Yes, it's the World Cup, the most "important" tournament they will ever play in, and yes, the pressure to perform, both individually and collectively, will be more than many of them have ever experienced; but not one of them will have had to go through what their friend and teammate did leading up to the games, and with that juxtaposition of preparation firmly in mind, they are bound to be affected. As individuals, and naturally selfish creatures, human beings can be amazing in their ability to elevate their own travails, as insignificant as they might be, to the status of crisis; yet nothing any other American experienced in the eight months prior to the World Cup, not even the recovery of Oguchi Onyewu and others from injuries that kept them off the field for months as a time, can compare to Charlie's struggle.
The focus on Davies and his efforts to return will only increase exponentially from here, fifty-eight days out from the World Cup. Charlie's story will draw more and more attention from the general public as he takes each step in the process, and an American team scattered across the US and Europe with their clubs will be pulled along for the ride. Talking about their friend, a model of dedication and perseverance, will be liberating and uplifting on its own; if Charlie is back and on the field in South Africa, the resulting emotional boost will be indescribable.
Make no mistake; Charlie Davies will impact how the Americans play in South Africa, whether he's in the lineup, on the bench, or watching from home.
Charlie has impeccable timing, by the way. As I was finishing this up, he posted this picture to his Twitter account.
