Photo by ISIphotos.com
U.S. national team striker Charlie Davies has been tearing up the Swedish First Division this season, but his recent run of goal-scoring form with Hammarby will be put on hold after he was suspended five matches for elbowing an opponent in the face.
Davies elbowed Orebro's Michael Almeback during a recent Swedish league match in an incident that was not seen by the match official. Video evidence was used by the league's disciplinary committee, which hit Davies with the five-match ban. No word yet on whether Hammarby will appeal.
Here is the video of the incident:
The news comes as a big blow to a struggling Hammarby team languishing near the bottom of the Swedish standings. It also comes as Davies continues to be the target of transfer speculation.
What do you think of this development? Disappointed to see Davies behaving that way? Think he's frustrated by his club's unwillingness to sell him? Hoping Davies is on the U.S. teams Confederations Cup roster?
Share your thoughts below.
for some reason this just makes me enjoy zidane head-butting Materazzi…I mean…you have to have real balls to head-butt someone in a game. It can’t be accidental, it can’t be “whoops I was trying to get position”. Coup de boule ftw!!!
Terrible job by Davies. Five games is what he deserves. He should know better.
Hahaha @ Joe B. Some people really need to settle down. He got a five match ban, please get off of your soap boxes…
Yes, and let’s get the firing squad out too!
Please, people this happens in this game. Both Ronaldos, Zidane, Maradona, Rijkaard & and a whole bunch of other top players were guilty of the same or similar offenses. He’s getting his suspension so let’s all put our toupées back on, OK?
That was really shameful. If you watch the video carefully, he looks back twice to see where the defender is and then swings his arm back. And don’t try to suggest he was looking back to establish good position. I’ve played long enough to know that you do that by feel and you don’t need to look at your defender the way he did unless you’re going for what he did.
I think they should add a sucker punch to the face to the five match ban so he knows what it feels like.
thanks
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Houston should try and get him. He fit in nicely
Sucks but stuff happens. Davies is heading either to the French, German or Dutch league this summer.
Who does he think he is….Danielle De Rossi?
It happens in the heat of competition. Especially from a former wrestler. Nice turn and finish…on the goal that is.
I love people on here. Banned for the season is laughable. It was stupid elbow that probably warrants five games. This kind of thing goes on a lot. Most of the time they don’t connect. Unlucky for the defender, he got caught just right. If theres no blood I bet he would have only gotten 3 games. Someone mentioned tab ramos, that was the worst elbow ever. Fractured skull!
Unnecessary and stupid elbow. A five match ban seems about right.
Too bad he lost his cool, but saying its the most blatant elbow ever seen in soccer like the poster above is just ridiculous. Anyone remember Tab Ramos getting knocked out in 94 ?
Wow, that was awful — that wasn’t jockeying for position, that was whipping his arm back violently.
my word, how would the Swedes contend with Carlos Ruiz…?
That wasn’t blood. He’s just wearing lipstick.
I dunno, it just looked like they were tussling away from the ball. Seems like the defender is a bit of a crybaby to me. It’s a physical game.
I would certainly hope Davies didn’t wildly swing his arm at some random defender because he’s frustrated about not being sold.
It definitely looked intentional though. I think 5 games is about right. Anyone know if the two had been fighting earlier in the game?
Banned for the season. LOL. The guy has a busted lip. 5 games is fine.
Chucks a jerk and deserves what he got. He needs to try and play in a better league if there are any takers. The level of play is simular to USL 1 in America. If he’s getting frustrated with marking here wait until he plays against real men in a better league.
That is worse than De Rossi’s elbow. He should be banned for the season.
Does he have a history of this sort of thing? Or is it an anomoly?
I’d like to hear a candid explanation from Davies himself. There had to be some kind of provocation for him to swing so wildly with intent to strike another player.
Did Davies and Daniele DeRossi come from the same womb?
Charlie has had a lot of interest from teams in France but Hammarby don’t want to sell him. I can see him moving on once his contract is up.
juan carlos osorio says Davies is the victim of racism, would have been 10 games if Hispanic
Andrew, awesome job providing the link, thanks!!
Wow, that was pathetic. Deliberate, hard, with intent to injure, face high.
Defender was VERY lucky to move out of the way and only get a little part of the elbow. If not, his face would have been broken.
Quite literally, that was one of the worst elbows I’ve ever seen in a competitive soccer match at this level.
Thanks for the link. Stupid play on his part. It looks like his intent was to hurt the other player and there was no other motivation.
Seems a bit harsh to me. If he makes contact anywhere but in the mouth or nose, it’s normal jockeying for position. A bit unlucky. Seems as though 2-3 games would have been ample.
My google translation of the page seems to say he has already served a three match suspension, and thus has only two more to go?
5 games is significant and seems about right to me. Needless and very dirty. I think he could be a good player and he’ll need to turn it around from this one. You can imagine this video being shown over and over again on Swedish TV.
I’m assuming that his goal came after the elbow incident which must have furiated Malmo, their fans and neutral fans watching on TV. Without Davies in that game, his team probably loses. Another reason for five games (or more).
Pretty dirty there from Davies. I wish I understood what any of the stories about the incident say.
There is a video attached to the article if that’s the play at the beginning of the video it looks pretty bad for Davies. Basically two players back tracking at the mid way pitch Davies swings blindly with his elbow and catches the gut straight in the mouth. You don’t get any idea of what happened before that but the guys mouth is completely bloodied.
Here’s the video:
http://svtplay.se/v/1562179/charlie_davies_avstangd
5 games does seem a bit lenient
Show me a video of this incident and I will formulate an opinion. Seeing a picture of a guy laying face down after the play doesn’t do much for me.
Have there ever been a US player who played in the Scandanavian league, who has went on to bigger and better things? I can’t remember one? Help me out here guys.
I’ve heard a lot of US players go there syaing it’s a launching pad to bigger European league’s but don’t remember it panning out that way.
I can remember Heath Pearce and his big ego saying that when he left, he wanted to be Ajax’ starting left back. 2 years later he’s in the reserves in the 2nd division in Germany.
Serves him right, should have been a 10 game ban.
I take it the elbow was not on accident?
Transfer to where? Are we talking about an exceptional player here or some regular American product? Also Ives, why would I elbow someone because I want my club to sell me?? He can make a decent move to another Scandanavian League like Norway (Lyn or Rosenburg) or Denmark (Brondby)
Good — now he won’t get injured as he waits to transfer 😉