FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Charlie Davies took an important step on Saturday afternoon, returning to the field for a 33-minute stint in the New England Revolution’s 1-1 draw with New York City FC.
It was a brief appearance at Yankee Stadium, but it represented something of a return to normalcy for Davies, who’s spent recent weeks at the side of his wife Nina’s hospital bed as the couple welcomed twin boys Rhys and Dakota into the world three months prematurely.
“For me personally, it was great,” said Davies, who also dealt with a mild hamstring strain suffered in the home opener. “I feel like I was a little bit exhausted – more so mentally than physically – but it was great to be back on the pitch again.”
Davies almost wrote a storybook ending as he was sent clean through in the 75th minute with a winner in his sights. He rounded NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders and his tight-angle shot was goal-bound, but Federico Bravo retreated to clear the effort off the line and prevent the fairytale finish.
“I think he was a little rusty,” admitted head coach Jay Heaps. “He had that chance and I think nine out of 10 times he buries it, but he took a long touch. But at the same time, I like that he’s coming along and he’s back in the group and helping.”
“I think I should’ve finished a couple of chances today,” said Davies. “But that being said, I put myself in the right positions to finish chances, so I’ll continue to move forward. A striker has to have a short-term memory, which I do, so I’m looking forward to Friday.”
Friday is when the Revs will host the New York Red Bulls in front of a national television audience (7 p.m. on UniMas), and Davies will be hoping to make his return to the starting lineup as the Revs (0-1-3) continue the quest for their first win of the 2016 campaign.
With Rhys, Dakota and Nina all progressing, Davies is confident that he’ll quickly regain his strength, and in turn the form that saw him top the Revolution scoring charts with 10 goals last season.
“I’ve been through a lot the past couple of weeks, but this week I was really able to come and focus and be ready for this game,” Davies said. “I feel like I’m ready to take the next step and start delivering on those chances for this team.”
