American soccer fans were given daily updates on the injury status of striker Charlie Davies leading up to May 11th, the day that American coach Bob Bradley named his preliminary roster for the World Cup in South Africa. 

Used to Hollywood storylines, most U.S. supporters had hope that Davies could pull off a miraculous recovery in time to make the squad. Unfortunately in real life, injuries can and do get in the way of fairytale endings. Davies never made the squad, and his impact on the tournament will be that of a distant memory. 

Lost in the clamour for Davies' improbable return was the recovery from injury of a player whom I consider to be far more important than Charlie Davies to the United States' chances in South Africa: central defender Oguchi Onyewu. 

Ruptured tendon

It was only days after Davies' horrific car crash last October that Onyewu suffered his own injury, rupturing a tendon in his left knee during a World Cup qualifying game against Costa Rica. Like Davies, Onyewu has not played a competitive game since the injury. 

That has to be a major concern for Bob Bradley. 

Based on how well Onyewu played at last summer's Confederations Cup, where the United States lost in the final to Brazil by a score of 3-2 (after taking a 2-0 lead), it was expected that Onyewu would be the rock upon which the U.S. defence was built in South Africa. 

After all, it was his form in that tournament that led to his move to Italian giants AC Milan. 

As it stands now, however, Oguchi Onyewu will be lucky to even play in the World Cup. 

Despite Onyewu's assertions to the contrary, there is no way that he will be match fit in time for the World Cup. Anyone who has ever suffered a long-term injury will tell you that it can take four or five competitive games - sometimes more - to get back to the pre-injury level of sharpness. 

I am not talking about cardiovascular fitness, because these players are all trained to be in peak physical condition. Onyewu will probably be in the best shape of his life right now, as he has spent the last seven months doing nothing but conditioning work. 

I am talking about the aspects of the game that do not require stamina, power or speed. Decision making, tackling and anticipating where and when dangerous situations will develop - all essential components of the modern-day central defender - can only be honed by playing competitive games. 

The fact that Onyewu has not done any of these things in a competitive match for seven months will mean that he will be slightly off in all departments. How quickly he makes decisions, how fast he is able to commit to a challenge and how well he is able to anticipate the flow of an attacking move could all have serious ramifications for the United States in South Africa. 

If the central defender hesitates in any of these areas, the U.S. could pay a heavy price. It is far easier to cover those mistakes when they happen further up the field, and the Americans simply cannot afford to carry any passengers at the back. 

Big game against England

It is not as though the U.S. has an easy start to the tournament, either. On June 12th, the Americans take on the mighty England, one of a handful of teams with a legitimate chance of winning the tournament outright.  

Imagine this scenario: The U.S. holds England to a credible draw through 80 minutes of play. The Americans concede possession cheaply just inside the England half, and Fabio Capello's men break quickly. The ball gets played into the channel, isolating Wayne Rooney with Onyewu. What happens next? 

Ordinarily, facing Rooney in a 1-on-1 situation is a daunting proposition. Quick and powerful, Rooney can make even the best of defenders look like schoolboys. Coming back from a seven-month injury layoff, with no competitive match practice under his belt, Onyewu will have an even more difficult job on his hands. 

It remains to be seen whether or not Bradley will even select Onyewu, and the astute American manager has shown that he is not averse to making unpopular decisions, as he did in leaving out Charlie Davies. It is a shame that he has to make that decision though, because a fit and healthy Oguchi Onyewu would be a major asset for the United States in South Africa.