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Charlie Davies stays hot in Ligue 1

Charlie Davies 1 (ISIphotos.com)

As you may already know, Charlie Davies has gotten off to a dream start in France since joining Sochaux this summer. This past weekend he earned Team of the Week honors in Ligue 1 for his work in helping Sochaux defeat Monaco, which included drawing the match-winning penalty.

If you didn't get to see Davies do his thing, here's a great video of his performance:

How excited are you about Davies' continued success? Think he'll score a few vs. El Salvador? Starting to wonder if he'll be making an even bigger move next summer?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I am stoked that we now have some real options up front. I love Ching and think he deserves every bit of PT he’s gotten, but I’ve always hoped for the day when he was the backup. With Jozy and Dempsey, we have 3 legit strikers getting experience and results against the world’s best defenders.

    I remember one of Davies’ early appearances in the Olympic qualifiers. He came out, ran fast, and flopped in the box, a lot. I agree with Gaucho Juan, it’s good to see him fighting for the ball and not just fishing for the call.

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  2. CHUCK D FOR PREZ!

    i absolutely luv his *fire* !!! that’s what a striker needs! and i agree with the peeps up there, paired with Jozy, they are unstoppable! they obviously are tight, as i remember them doing the stanky leg together, and nothing bonds friends like doing the stanky leg.

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  3. Yes! Please start Jozy and Charlie up front. Strength and speed – can’t beat that combination. And both have a nose for the goal.

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  4. Why do people keep whining about torres? he’s a fantastic player, but there’s no way he fits into the style of play that the rest of the lineup demands.

    Counterattack, Speed, Strength, Size. That’s the game our player pool requires right now. You can make whatever argument for the future of our national team, but for now, that’s what BB has to work with.

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  5. Supsam

    there is an article on Jones and Castillo on the ESPN website. It’s a good article… it basically says we are probably not going to see them anytime soon. Realistically we will see them until after the qualifying and we are into the friendlies.

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  6. i am stoked for this upcoming WC. If only we can get a few issues resolved:

    1) Are players like Jones, Castillo, and Torres going to get shots to impress in the upcoming WC qualifying games?

    2) Should we start worrying about Gooch not playing? (last thing anyone wants is a defender that is collecting rust)…maybe Boca should take CB again if that happens..

    3)When will we find our natural left winger!?!? Donovan is only playing there because our pool sucks at that spot! (maybe Dempsey should get a look there with Holden taking right wing)

    There are too many factors to resolve but my ideal line up would be:

    ————Davies——–Altidore———
    ——————Donovan——————
    Dempsey——————————Holden
    ——————Bradley——————
    Bocanegra—-Onyewu—–Demeritt—-Spector
    ——————Howard——————-
    Subs: Torres, Ching, Guzan, Dolo, Feilhber, Clark, Marshall

    mystery players that can potentially crack the roster: Castillo(LW), Jones(DM), Edu(CM/DM)

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  7. Davies is the man. You can tell he’s always hungry to score. Also I agree with everyone that it is awesome to see him fighting through fouls even after already on the floor. It is exactly the opposite of a Dos Santos where he gets a finger on his shoulder and he starts rolling an unrealistic extra 3 to 4 times. I love Davies’ game he has very good ball control. Did you guys see the way he received that pass in the box (he missed the shot though), he just stuck his foot out and bam he switches position and is ready to line up a shot. Also his receiving of the ball where he posted the dude up was perfect and it led to the guy having to foul him. I see Davies being a big name striker in the world if he continues the way he is going right now. I wanna get his jersey.

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  8. Davies hard work and hunger are evident when you watch him play. If he can keep up that level of intensity and focus then he could become the best forward the US has ever had.

    I wish players like Dempsey had the drive that Davies seems to have.

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  9. If he keeps playing at a high level and scores 15+ goals this season, there might be some bigger clubs after him in the not so distant future. Especially if he puts on a good performance in South Africa.

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  10. I love that he always plays bigger than his size. That’s one of those intangibles that coaches love to come across.

    I also echo the sentiment of everyone else that he continues to fight even after he’s brought down. A player like that will leave no doubt in a referee’s mind that when he is brought down in the box, he really was brought down.

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  11. Good to see he is making a difference. France is a great league for him and his style of play.

    Is there a rule somewhere that soccer highlight videos HAVE to use one of about three songs. I would rather hear the announcers.

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  12. Oh, and that first foul in the box where the Monaco player shoulders him in the back is just crap. Did anything become of that?

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  13. Show ’em how it’s done Chuck D! It’s as if he’s saying, ‘foul me, I don’t care. I’m gonna score anyway’ Nobody on Arsenal does it that way :0

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  14. Agree with what CBR said. His strength with his back to goal and his turn moves really give him an added dimension. We all know he can run really fast and is deadly on the counter, but he’s not a one dimensional EJ type. He’s got a variety of different ways to score, and to get off shots and passes.

    I just wish we got some Ligue 1 games on FSC.

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  15. I love how this guy doesn’t bother with the flailing and flopping. Even when he is fouled, in the box, he’s going after the ball. He gets grabbed, brought down and plays to the whistle to the point where he’s on the floor passing the ball through traffic to his man at the pentalty spot. Thats how the game should be played by attackers. Well down Davies, keep it up.

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  16. Echoing the sentiment. I really wasn’t sold on Davies until I started to see what he’s been doing with Sochaux. Of course, that’s why you get young players, because they generally have room for growth (does that apply to Freddy as well?).

    I can’t help thinking that this is some sort of watershed moment in US Men’s Soccer. I certainly can’t recall so many US players (in or near their primes) doing so well in top leagues. As far as I’m concerned once we figure out an answer for our left back problem, and find a way to get Torres properly integrated into the squad we start to have a SCARY eleven.
    Keep it up Davies.. Good luck, Adu.
    Go USA!

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  17. I agree Zdbrown.

    2/3years at Sochaux ain’t bad and he can than move up to a PSG or Marseille. What’s important is he a starter. The longer a Yank stays at a club, the more of a LEGEND he becomes. Look at McBride for Fulham. 4.5 years with them and he kept them from being relegated.

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  18. He’ll end the season with 15goals. I said it here, being 1 of the top scorers in the league. And he’ll score 2 goals at the WC where he will start alongside Altidore.

    He’ll become 1 of our biggest stars in Europe. After the WC, he’ll either stay and help Sochaux get into Europe or he’ll move up to PSG or Marseille. God bless you Davies

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  19. France loves him. Who would have ever thought France would be loving an American footballer, a striker no less?

    We’re coming up in the world. When we host the WC in 2022, I bet we will be flourishing with talent especially in MLS.

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  20. I might be alone here, but I hope he stays at Sochaux for a while. Bouncing around clubs can just kill your form because you can never get into a groove; you’re always changing systems. No, the League 1 isn’t the best on the planet, but Charlie is young and seems like he fits in there. Imagine what he could be like in three years after playing for the same system.

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  21. @Chitown,

    I think Davies will definitely be heading to La Liga in a few years. I’d say around 2013, 2014. He has the speed, ball control and eye for goal. I’m sure a team like Valencia or Atletico Bilbao would love him.

    Plus he speaks Spanish.

    And yes Davies will score against El Salvador and T&T. Mark my words.

    He’ll be 1 of the top5 goal scorers this season in France as well.

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  22. Dude is a natural goal-scorer. He opted for the Swedish league instead of MLS, got paid double the cash he would have got in MLS and started scoring goals. He’s a legend at his former club and soon to be a legend for Sochaux.

    Dempsey was my favorite Yank, now it’s Davies

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  23. Davies’s talent, grit, and integrity should make you proud to be an American fan. Trying to fight *through* a foul instead of milking it, besides being the right thing to do, also helps your team because (1) you may not get the call, so it’s better to keep the chance alive, and (2) you preserve your reputation, so you’re more likely to get a call the next time you’re fouled. CD may be the perfect counter-example to the “college ruins soccer players” school of thought.

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  24. Davies is proving to be a game-changer. The thing is, if he can make good on the promise he’s showing it will boost the MNT in two ways: A) we’ll score more goals, and B) we’ll experience less pressure in our own defensive third because the opposition will have to focus more on defending. This kid is the most exciting thing going for us right now. What fantastic timing!

    Also, I’m with the crowd calling for Altidore over Ching for the MNT. Continuing to start Ching is an implicit statement that we’d be happy to just get out of group play in the WC. As surprised as I am about the potential shown by this young team–and as troubled as I am by its inconsistency–I say play to win and let the chips fall where they may.

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  25. Guy was an All-american wrestler in high school so I’m pretty sure using his body for leverage is not foreign to him. His speed and tenacity is amazing. Jozy and him need to be paired up again- you can tell when they play that they are good friends and want each other to do well which translates into goals and a very frustrated defense.

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  26. The kid is doing great. Agree Gaucho – love the way he kept at it AFTER he was fouled. He’s like the Anti-Eduardo.

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  27. Can I hear it for will.i.am obliterating another one of my favorite songs? It was bad enough when he turned “Misirlou” into that travesty “Pump It”. And now “Mas Que Nada”? Please someone make him stop.

    Good stuff from Charlie, though.

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  28. I really like how he never gives up on the play when he draws the PK instead of embellishing even more. Davis is going to be BIG for the US.

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