Sonny Side of Sports

World Cup Comeback By Charlie Davies Falls Short

Here’s a Sonny Side of Sports salute for Charlie Davies, a 23-year-old American striker who made an inspirational comeback in a bid to play at the World Cup in South Africa.  Before a terrible car crash in October 2009, Davies was considered a top candidate for the USA’s 2010 World Cup team.  He excelled at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup tournament in South Africa, and during the USA’s World Cup qualifying campaign, becoming one of the top scoring threats for the Americans.

But, a day before a World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Davies was a passenger in a vehicle that crashed on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, just outside the nation’s capital.  A second passenger died in the crash.  Davies suffered numerous injuries, including a broken right femur, tibia and fibula, as well as a dislocated elbow and lacerated bladder.

Davies made remarkable progress in his rehabilitation, and resumed training with his French club Sochaux in April.  USA head coach Bob Bradley said Davies showed incredible heart and determination during his recovery, but in the end, he decided not to include him on his World Cup roster.

On his Twitter page, Davies wrote:  “It was a very sad day for me (not to be included on the USA World Cup team) … I will be back stronger than ever.”  Here’s hoping we’ll see Charlie Davies on the 2014 USA World Cup team.

World Cup Spotlight on Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba

Two American magazines are featuring Chelsea and Ivory Coast football star Didier Drogba ahead of next month’s World Cup in South Africa. Time magazine has named the 32-year-old Drogba one of its 100 Most Influential People. And, Vanity Fair magazine has Drogba on its cover for June, along with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Drogba is the reigning African Footballer of the Year and he recently completed an outstanding season for Chelsea. The muscular Ivorian helped lead Chelsea to its third English Premier League title in six years. He won the league’s Golden Boot award, scoring 29 goals for the season.

Drogba and “The Elephants” of Ivory Coast are in Group G at the World Cup, along with North Korea, Brazil, and five-time World Cup champion Brazil. Ivory Coast will play its first World Cup match 15 June against Portugal at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.