D.C. United 3, Crew 1
Charlie Davies has been out of soccer for a long time. D.C. United had been out of winning soccer for just as long.
Both began a new chapter together with a storybook start to the 2011 season, as Davies scored twice off the bench in his D.C. debut and first game since a horrific car accident derailed his career in October 2009, and United rebounded from a last place finish in 2010 with a season-opening 3-1 dismantling of Columbus in front of a joyous crowd of 18,132 at RFK Stadium.
Davies had been on the field for barely ten minutes, returning to the game 17 months after suffering multiple serious injuries in an accident on The George Washington Memorial Parkway, when his teammate Chris Pontius was clipped in the box by Crew defender Sebastian Miranda in the 62nd minute.
On the sideline, United head coach Ben Olsen had no idea who would take the kick. On the field, D.C. captain Dax McCarty had come into the game planning to take penalties, and forward Josh Wolff had his own case to make, having scored United’s first goal of the season 11 minutes earlier. But there was no doubt in Davies mind that the spot kick was his.
“There was no discussion,” said Davies. “I was taking that ball, and I told Wolffy right away, ‘I’m taking this,’ and Dax came over with the ball, handed it to me, and said, ‘We trust in you. We believe in you.’ That says it all.”
“It sounds kind of corny, but I saw it in his eyes,” said McCarty. “I knew there was no way he was going to miss that penalty kick.”
But Davies firm right-footed finish into the lower right corner to give United (1-0-0) a 2-0 lead, which was followed by him putting his arms in the air and celebrating with a dance at the corner flag, was just the beginning. Fourteen minutes later the 24-year-old corralled a long ball from Marc Burch as Columbus defender Chad Marshall fell down, took one touch past charging goalkeeper Will Hesmer, and slotted home his second goal of the night.
Although he brought out the familiar “Stanky Leg” dance to celebrate his brace, Davies was completely overcome with emotion after the final whistle, looking to the sky and getting embraced by teammates and Columbus midfielder Robbie Rogers – a fellow U.S. national team member who scored the only goal for the Crew (0-1-0) with his own penalty. Davies took a slow walk the length of the sideline to salute United’s loyal fans at RFK and sobbed through a post-match interview on the field.
“When someone survives an accident like I did where basically your body is in shambles, and the car’s split in half, and you just lucky to survive such an incident, to play soccer again, that’s a miracle in itself,” said Davies. “Since day one, it was, I need to get back, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get back on that field. I’m not taking, ‘No,’ for an answer.”
“I told him he deserves it,” said McCarty. “I told him that he’s got a whole nation behind him because he really does.”
Olsen, who picked up a victory in his first game as permanent head coach after shepherding D.C. through the latter half of a disastrous last season, was spared any questions afterward on why he chose to start with Davies on the bench. He also deferred credit for the role he’s played in Davies’ return, although in the next chapter Olsen may have little choice but to give the young American forward his first MLS start.
“He took a chance, came on his own to try out for this team, and he’s done a lot of work to get back here,” said Olsen. “It is emotional for myself and anybody that’s close to him right now. To see him come back, and come back in this way, it’s a pretty impressive story.”
