The restart of Charlie Davies’s professional soccer career will indeed begin in the same city where it came to a tragic halt.
Two weeks after joining D.C. United on trial, Davies has officially signed with the team on a one-year loan from French club Sochaux and will be formally introduced this afternoon.
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The 24-year-old New Hampshire native has not played in a first team match since being involved in a one-car accident on George Washington Parkway in the early hours of Oct. 13, 2009, while in Washington with the U.S. national team for a World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica at the time.
Davies nearly paid the ultimate price after breaking curfew, suffering a broken right femur and tibia, a broken left elbow, a torn knee ligament, facial fractures and a lacerated bladder in the accident while the other passenger in the car, Ashley J. Roberta, of Phoenix, Md., was killed. The driver, Maria Alejandra Espinoza, from Clarksville, Md., pled guilty in November to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and maiming while driving intoxicated.
Despite a determined rehabilitation, Davies was unable to make the U.S. squad for last summer’s FIFA World Cup, and he has featured only in reserve matches for Sochaux.
D.C. United gave a stern warning when Davies joined the team that it needed to be satisfied with Davies’ physical capabilities, but Davies bolstered his case with three goals and two assists in a pair of preseason matches. He was also evaluated last week by United team doctors in Washington.
“Charlie spent 10 days with us in our first pre-season camp and underwent a full battery of physical and medical testing,” said United general manager Dave Kasper. “He simply looks terrific. Coming in, we weren’t sure where he would be, but he’s great physically, has impressed with his mental approach and we’re excited to see him on the field with us this season.”
The rest of the team’s release this morning can be found here.
