Photo: Daniel Studio
Philadelphia Union announced on Thursday morning the acquisition of former US international forward Charlie Davies from New England Revolution.
In return, New England receive “General Allocation Money, Targeted Allocation Money and the Union’s natural first round selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.” The announcement also says the Union have received New England’s natural third round selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft as part of the deal.
Union Sporting Director Earnie Stewart said in a statement, “Charlie adds another dynamic dimension to our attack and is exactly the type of player we targeted during this window. We’re thrilled to be able to add another player of quality and look forward to welcoming him to the club.”
Prior to becoming a professional, Davies played college soccer at Boston College, where he first met fellow Boston College product Alejandro Bedoya, who joined the Union yesterday via transfer from Nantes in France’s Ligue 1. The two have remained friends off the field.
A Hermann Trophy finalist, Davies signed with Hammarby in 2007, the same year he earned his first senior cap with the US men’s national team, rather than enter MLS on a Generation adidas contract. After scoring 21 goals over 56 appearances with the Swedish club, Davies moved to Ligue 1 side Sochaux in 2009. After making only eight appearances for the French club, Davies was seriously injured in a car crash in which another passenger was killed the night before he was to play in a World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica in Washington, DC. The long recovery from injury saw him miss the 2010 World Cup and his international career was effectively over.
Davies joined DC United on loan from Sochaux for the 2011 season, scoring 11 goals over 26 appearances, before signing with Danish side Randers in 2012. In 2014 he joined New England Revolution, with whom he had four appearances while on loan from Randers in 2013. With New England, Davies has made 64 appearances in league play, including 41 starts, scoring 14 goals with 8 assists.
On July 30, 2016, Davies said in an interview that he is in remission after being diagnosed in the spring with a rare form of cancer called liposarcoma.
Davies, who made his first appearance for New England since April 27 in the 3-1 road loss to Orlando City last Sunday, said, “As a player, as a teammate, my main goal and focus was to get back on the field. I think it’s very similar to the adversity I faced with the car accident. My main focus was getting back on the field and being dynamic and being dangerous as always.
“It was emotional, for sure, just to get back out there. I feel like I’m just coming out and I had to face another hurdle, to get past that. I feel like now I’m past it and I’ve completed the comeback to be back on the field. Now it’s about helping this team win and get points.”
He’ll be doing that now in blue and gold.
Looking forward to the projected lineups.
By all accounts, Charlie is above all a fantastic human being. I am looking forward to welcoming a person of his caliber into the Union family.
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On a professional level, this is a fantastic addition. I have no idea how they will line up, but we are much more talented today that we were 36 hours ago.
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Great job, Earnie, and welcome Charlie!
In Earnie we trust.
What a big night for the Union. E. Stewart means business. What a change in ambition and identity for this club.
Do the Stanky Leg!
Yes…just what we needed!
This is shrewd. Well played.
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Vision. Philosophy. Plan.
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Word of the day: Shrewd.
Oh… i see what you did. Finally caught up.
Did the union just make 2 deadline day moves that attempted to address key issues on the pitch or am I dreaming?
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Whether or not they do is an entirely different story (I feel an extra post from Adam coming) but it’s good to feel that our front office is capable now. In Earnie we trust.
This is the proper perspective. Will it work? Maybe, maybe not. But they absolutely went out and address the 2 biggest areas of need with serious quality.
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*Slow Clap.*
I see one area kinda covered in the Davies acquisition, what other area of need did we cover. We still need and 8, a LB, and cover for BC when he retires.
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Ever the optimist.
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Prognosis poor says Doc.
Bedoya is going to play the #8. Bank on it.
Nope he’s to the wing now that Le Toux is gone plus that is Bedoya’s best spot on the wing not the 8. Ilsinho moves to bench.
Bet you a box of donuts that Ilsinho is not out f the starting IX and that as soon as Bedoya is ready for selection he slots in midfield right behind Barnetta.
I agree with Pete. It’s pretty clear that Bedoya will play the 8. He’s not really a winger per se. When he plays out wide, he’s really more of a wide midfielder which is different than playing as an outright winger.
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Actually, Barnetta has played more on the wing during his career, but I think that they like him at the 10.
We will see, but I still think if he plays the 8 were not using him to his best ability.
Not now, and maybe not ever, file rather than remember the names Taylor Washington and Matt Real. Real is a good deal away. He started v. Rochester and was okay until Coach Lily sent on a physically imposing highly technical sub to attack him.
Washington may tugg on Fabinho’s shirt next year
Love it
This, my friends, is how transfer windows operate when you have a competent sporting director (and supporting staff).
This is great!!! 60Minutes did a piece on him a while back, which I loved, then last week’s story about his cancer. Never thought he would come here. Just hope he stays healthy and does not have another car crash.
I’m being brought back to 10th grade, and Dr. Stewart is standing at the front teaching Chemistry.
Bedo and Davies together again, Bedo and Edu together again.
It’s time to make our push up that hill.
Also, it really says something about Earnie’s confidence in our academy, trading away the coming two years first round draft picks. V.P.P.
and his confidence that will will have late picks.
Not a bad bit of business.
Great signing. Depth now everywhere, solid player and person.
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Ed – great point about the Davies-Bedoya link in college.
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Still can’t help the feeling that Ern wants the Dutch 4-3-3. Bedoya and Davies both would fit that system. Overall, the system is close to the 4-2-3-1/4-1-4-1 that the Union have been playing this year too so the transition makes sense.
I’m sorry everyone this may work out, but I just don’t see it. You lose a leader in the locker room in Le Toux you dump a ton of cash into Bedoya to get pinned in if he doesn’t work out. And you sign a backup striker who while once was good has had injury problems left and right ever since coming to MLS. I just don’t see it. The team still needs a LB, an 8, and someone to replace the aging BC next year. Personally I could care less about the draft picks given up, but the ages of guys brought in seems to me that we just set this team back 2 years in its development at least.
None of us can predict the outcome but to counter for the sake of conversation:
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Bedoya is a team-orientated two-way player in the midfield, is still in his prime, and is a international quality player. At 29, you have to think that he has at least 3 or so years of prime playing years. Davies is a backup signing at forward while the Le Toux move, while hurts emotionally, is clearing salary and a roster spot on a 32 year old backup forward/midfielder. At 30, Davies is a good option for the next 2 or so years to push Herbers and/or allow him to develop with BSFC. Also it must be said, the team’s medical staff has had success keeping Pontius and his injury history on the field so I have decent confidence that they can do the same with Davies.
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At the 8 you have Edu coming back and 25yr old Crevalle in addition to Carroll, who has been pretty solid this year. At LB, Fabinho has been pretty solid this year as well, Gaddis is MLS-level quality at both LB and RB, and Washington has been getting plenty of games with BSFC for the future.
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All in all, we lost a player who is 32 and brought in a 30 and 29 year old so I don’t believe your statement that “this team back 2 years in its development at least” is valid.
Correction to my comment, I read yours as referring to the 6, not the 8 that’s is why I listed who I did.
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I agree with prag below, Bedoya can play the 8 as can Barnetta or Edu in the short term. Long term I think is what the signing of Jones was about.
I do not see practices, the technical staff does.
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I have not seen Barnetta like or Nogueira like foot skill and ability to creat space for himself by himself from Jones in the attack. He uses his speed and athleticism to do that. 🙂 this will start round four hundred and seventy-three of the debate on this subject between myself and my good friend El Pachyderm.
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I see jones as a future #6 pergaps not an 8 necessarily. I want glittering technical skill and creative flair at #8 & #10. Yes, I am greedy.
Fair enough
I’m looking down the line here people and not seeing it. Sure Bedoya you have for maybe 3 years at least (at a steep cost though). Bedoya is no 8 regardless of what he or anyone else tells you he is an out and out winger and the best games I’ve seen him play are on the wing. Round peg square hole type of thing going on if you ask me putting Bedoya at the 8. Creavalle isn’t worth the roster spot. Edu can play the 8 only if BC is the 6 and he can’t do that many more years. Fabinho is 31 and aging while Washington is waiting in the wings he is not ready and we already know what happens when Gaddis is on the left. The money spent on Bedoya prevents a new LB signing.
And lets look down the line I see CJ getting sold as he has had suitors. So you have a 31 year old Davies and Herbers (eh), Pontius contract is one year I believe so he is gone. Barnetta contract is up so you need to find money for him to keep him. You have Bedoya. Ilsinho is on a one year deal too. Edu is still in contract I believe. And Carroll is out of contract. There are so many players out of contract and you just spent a chunk of money this window and handcuffed yourself on what and who you can offer money to next season. I just see it as a set back.
Everyone can have their opinion and that’s all well and good. No one really knows what will happen, but I think that we can all agree that Stewart knows what he’s doing and I trust his proven track record in this area until things fully play out.
Remember the league is also adding more TAM each year, if I remember correctly. I wouldn’t worry so much. Though you make some good points. Let’s see how the next 3 matches play out with line-ups, formations, and tactics.
Have you seen any announcement this year for the future beyond last year’s announcement of last year and this?
I’m basing this off of the previous announcements that they are making TAM available each year for about 5 years.
J Jones was never considered a good #10 until Colorado….
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Depends all on the system, so if Ern and Curtin think Bedoya is a good fit for what they want out of their #8 then who are we to say. They were asking Nogs to get forward more at the beginning of the season so I could see Bedoya as a good fit there. He is better defensively then Barnetta so it should not exposed the backline as much as the last few games. I agree that the best I have seen Bedoya play was on the wing be I know he played more centrally for Nantes so it could work out.
Also played centrally for the USMNT in the Copa… earlier this summer.
You are aware that LeToux’s contract is up in December right? Davies’ contract is up in December too. This is a low risk trade to help out this season.
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Earnie, Jim and Chris will have a ton of cap space to work with this off-season. LeToux’s hefty contract is off the books, potentially both Barnetta and Pontius’ contracts will be off the books too. That’s over a million in cap space. Edu’s contract is up in December too. Plenty of room to bring in replacements. Not to mention Earnie will have been here a year and will have a nice list of transfer targets. Look at what he did this year after only being on the job for two months!
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Plus they addressed the two biggest needs of this seasons team. Bedoya can replace Nogs this season, and Davies gives veteran backup and a speed option to the striker core.
Everyone needs an LB. That is the rarest of positions to fill in world soccer. Before our recent slide, we had allowed the fewest goals in the league. LB is not at the top of the list, despite everyone’s insistence that it is.
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Bedoya slides into the 8. He has even said himself that it is his preferred position. That spot requires an intelligent player, and that is considered his greatest strength.
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You lost a leader in LeToux, and replaced him with quite possibly the single most respected player in the entire league. We have leaders, even with Seba gone. He will be missed, but he was not irreplaceable.
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These were good moves. Emotionally, we don’t want to see Seba gone. But we are better because of these moves.
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Don’y forget that the salary cap is about to go up, and the TAM/GAM limits will be raised after this season.
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No one is planning a parade, but we are better today that we were yesterday.
Thank you for your comment about LB. I want to tear my hair out every time I read that LB is our biggest area of need and that we need to improve immediately. Fabinho has been serviceable, which is about what you should expect from an MLS LB. Can that position be upgraded? Absolutely, along with every other position on the field.
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Striker depth and CM were more pressing areas of need in my opinion. I believe we addressed both of those with our acquisitions. Good window.
I hope I’m wrong I really do but the team is leaking goals and LB and a CDM were top on my list of needs. What we went out and got was a winger and striker. Bedoya is no 8.
Funny, Bedoya indicated that #8 was his favorite position.
I would say anything to to get paid 1 million dollar salary.
For an easier job and more money, I will say anything is my favorite.
He said #8 was his favorite position a year or so ago during a twitter Q&A. It wasn’t like he said it to push the Union transfer through.
He also said I want to stay in Europe and play at the highest level and yet here he is in MLS.
I understand he said he wanted to stay in Europe, but that comment is more likely posturing when it comes to transfers. Him saying #8 was his favorite position to play on a Twitter Q&A long before this transfer happened as posturing for this transfer to the Union just doesn’t hold water for me. Maybe I misunderstood, but I have a tougher time believing that the #8 comment was posturing in the same way that his comment about staying in Europe was.
On the topic of a LB I just came across this tweet:
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Matthew De George @sportsdoctormd 12h12 hours ago
Kicked the tires on a few LBs, Roderick Miller among them. But nothing completed yet
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So it looks like they are/were looking at the position but as Earnie said, they are not going to get someone unless it is a good fit.
Is that the Panamanian they were scouting during the Copa? Probably along with Bedoya, who – BTW – was playing at the “8”
I believe it is.
Agree that we have needed left back since Harvey left many moons ago.(Not sure when or how Earnie is gonna fix this issue.)
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My guess is Bedo plays the #8 and Edu the #6 when he returns. Wow…that’s a very strong center mid.
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Now you can interchange Pontius, Ilshinho, Alberg, and Barnetta in the other 3 positions.(One caveat is that Alberg and Barnetta could play #8 if deemed best and move Bedo up.)
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Davies is the upgrade we have needed all season long. I believe Earnie just stole a quality player. CJ is not a potential national team player that most thought he was early in the season.
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Even though Le2 has frustrated me with his technical ability his entire Union career, I will say he found a way to score goals. Le2 may be a leader, but does not have the skills to be on a quality pro team….Skilled players are not mandatory now with this team…Thank you Earnie.
What happended to the edit button?
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“ARE Mandatory Now”
How did we set things back? Why worry about a replacement for Carroll next year at this point. Doesn’t matter. I know you hate Fabinho but he is at worst an average MLS LB. Bedoya is not going to bust in this league. Maybe he’s not great as an 8, but he can play the 10 or the wing without a doubt. His style fits perfectly into MLS. He is in my opinion now the best player on the team and one of the best players in the league.
I can agree that Bedoya is great on the wing, but that is if they play him on the wing my argument is that the team used all their money on one player and not in a position of need.
Davies had 10 goals and 4 assists in 33 games last year. Between Sapong, Davies, and Herbers you’ve got a nice combination of play styles and short of spending a big chunk of cash a pretty solid group of 9s.
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I think they’re going to play with the formation a bit to move to a 4-3-3 or a diamond. That solves the 8.
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At the 6 yes we’ll need a cover for Edu next year, and it would be nice to have an upgrade over Fabhino but on a budget in a salary capped league you can do worse. Earnie will get a little more money to make some moves in the offseason.
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And I don’t see how this hampers the future of the team at all.
I was about to type something but you covered it perfectly in the 4-3-3 statement
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There’s no one set strict way to build a team and play soccer
Biggest need on this team is an actual, modern defensive midfielder. It’s possible Curtin and Stewart see Edu in that role. Letting Le Toux go was a shrewd move.
This is clearly a win now approach with a win later mentality.
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What.more.can.you.ask.for?
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I repeat: Vision. Philosophy. Plan.
My impression of both Davies and Bedoya is also, “win now.” What will their resale values be when their contracts are up?
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Seems fairly clear, that ‘s a question ES values.
Le Toux may have seen his minutes going down even more.
We usually hear little about option years on contracts until they exercised, e.g., Nogueira last winter.
Ahhhh depth……..
If you haven’t already watched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8GWeYcU-mg
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Some tear jerky stuff about a kid who just wants to overcome and succeed.
Yeah, this is a kid (I’m old, so, perspective) you have to like after watching that. Hard to root against a guy like him.
WOW – what a story! Proud to have CD on the team.
Also really hope Letoux returns to Philly as U coach/staff when his playing days are over. Love idea I read somewhere of having him sign 1-day contract to retire as U player.
http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/players/charlie-davies
Charlie Davies
Philadelphia Union
Forward
Real Name: Charlie Davies
HT: 14′ 9″
Age: 0 (08/04/2016)
Birthplace: Manchester, N.H., USA
@CharlieDavies9
I always thought he was a pretty good player, but I didn’t realize Davies was some kind of giant,super human who regenerates himself everyday. Impressive acquisition indeed.
Well done. Ha
Post of the day!
In ES we trust. I like the moves if Davies and Bedoya. For sentimental reasons I hate the Letoux move but for soccer reasons it’s not bad at all. We got the help we needed at the deadline. Amazing.
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I said the other day: We are the Union. We can’t have nice things. Well… maybe we can 🙂
PURE FRICKIN’ JOY TO WATCH ES WORK HIS PLAN INTO PLACE !! CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE THESE RESULTS… WOW, ES ES ES… Acquires’ players with instant chemistry and experience to apply and share. The younger players on our team just stepped up a notch in their play and confidence, just watch and see… UNION UNION UNION !!!
Is that a “Closed During Renovation” sign up at the Cliff of Union Despair?
ES has now constructed a wall before the cliff… gotta go thru/around/over that first before ya jump… maybe, just maybe we can send his blue print to our southern border and give Donald some support… ah, why did I have to go there? But I did!! YEEHAAAAAA !!!