A Love Affair Fit for Valentine's Day

With no USMNT players featuring in any club games today, I have a little bit of free time.  So, in the spirit of Valentine's Day, I'd like to take a moment to profess my adoration for a certain USMNT man-crush of mine: Charlie Davies.

What's not to love about "Chuck Deezy"?

He's got fire and a bit of a mean streak, which we saw down in Saprissa during a tough loss.  He's got a great work ethic and isn't afraid to do the dirty work either, which we saw when he out-muscled two Egyptian defenders inside the six before banking a shot off of Essam El-Hadary's face for a goal.  He's got a lot of flair in his game, too, which we saw with his Jay-Jay Okocha-esque step over move against El Salvador at Rio Tinto.

He's calm in frantic situations.  How many players really would have been that composed with their finish in front of the menacing masses of Mexicans in Estadio Azteca?  He also knows how to have fun on the field, with numerous stanky legg celebrations serving as evidence of that.  He combines the physique and industrious attitude from his wrestling days with the swagger and instinct of a top notch striker.  And now, against all odds, he's showing us that he never gives up, making a determined recovery that "stunning" doesn't even come close to describing.

It's just incredible the kind of roller coaster year that Charlie Davies has gone through, but it's done nothing but endear him to every USMNT fan, as well as thousands of fans from Sochaux and Hammarby.  In a country that loves its underdog stories, CD9 is writing one of his own, and with all that's gone on to this point, it's hard not to believe that there is a Hollywood ending waiting for us in South Africa.

From the looks of things, nothing is going to stop Charlie from being a force on the USMNT for years to come.  His "impossible is nothing" spirit (speaking of which, wouldn't he be perfect for one of those old adidas ads?) will only win over more and more fans as time goes on, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that spill across borders, as football aficionados across the globe take notice of a bright young star who has already been on such a remarkable journey.

He's pretty much everything I could ask for in a player representing my country: a talented player, a good teammate, someone who takes pride in representing the Stars and Stripes, and a young man with a level of maturity and appreciation for his position in life well beyond his 23 years.

I think I speak for all American soccer fans when I say this: I love ya Charlie.

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Roses are red,
Violets are blue;
Charlie's going to play against England,
And he's going to score, too.

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