Charlie Davies could not hold back the tears after scoring a brace on his return to football following a serious car accident.
Davies was a passenger in a fatal car accident in Washington in October 2009 while with the USA national team, suffering bleeding on the brain, a ruptured bladder, a broken and dislocated elbow and broken bones in his right leg, nose, forehead and eye socket.
The injuries kept Davies off the pitch for 17 months, with the 24-year-old striker unable to be considered for the USA’s 2010 World Cup campaign.
He has joined DC United in his homeland on-loan from French Ligue 1 outfit Sochaux in a bid to return to his best, and has taken little time endearing himself to his new club’s fans.
Still sporting the scars on his head from where doctors needed to access his skull to repair multiple fractures, Davies was a 52nd-minute substitute for DC United in the opening game of their MLS season against Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Leading 1-0 through Josh Wolff’s opener, United were handed a chance to double their lead 10 minutes after Davies’ injection when striker Chris Pontius was fouled in the penalty area.
Davies immediately claimed responsibility and converted past Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer.
“There was no discussion,” Davies told mlssoccer.com after the game.
“I was taking that ball. I told Wolff right away, ‘I’m taking this’. And (captain) Dax McCarthy came over with the ball, and he handed it to me and says, ‘We trust you and believe in you’. That says it all.”
The match only got better for Davies 14 minutes later when he cut in from the left-hand side, outpaced defender Chad Marshall and scored his second of the game past a diving Hesmer.
A Robbie Rogers penalty was the only blemish on United’s 3-1 win, with Davies unable to hold back the tears at the final whistle.
“I was ready for this moment,” he said. “I’ve been waiting such a long time for this exact moment – a year and five months – so it was finally here and I knew I was ready for it. I wanted to go out and succeed, not just go out there and work hard, I wanted to play hard and make an impact, and I was able to do that.”
“The support was overwhelming and, once that final whistle blew, and I looked at the fans, I lost it emotionally because their support meant so much to me.”
“This is just the beginning. I’ve got to keep that in mind and not get too high about this moment. Of course, it’s a very special moment to me.”
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