In a move that hardly came as a surprise, D.C. United has passed on the option to buy Charlie Davies' contract from French club Sochaux.
The club announced the decision on Thursday, but it had been clear for months that Davies future didn't lie with D.C. The team is still in talks with Davies about potential options, but if Davies does return to MLS in 2012, it would be on loan to another team in the league and not D.C. United.
Davies endured roller-coaster season with D.C. United, scoring 11 goals, but he finished the season on the bench for D.C. after what sources called a falling out with D.C. head coach Ben Olsen.
What's next for Davies is unclear. What is clear is he will not return to D.C. United, and while a return to MLS with another club is a possibility (multiple clubs are interested in acquiring him), Davies could also return to Europe this winter. If he does stay in MLS, interested teams would have to work out a trade with D.C., which still holds his rights.
What do you think of this development? Disappointed that it didn't work out for Davies in D.C.? Would you like your team to make a run at Davies? Think he needs to go back to Europe?
Share your thoughts below.
“I don’t understand the vitriol over the fact that Davies got away with an unseeingly but wholly accepted part of the game…”
I don’t see it as vitriol. It’s an honest assessment that because of diving/ penalty kicks, his goal total is less valued, because there’s a high likely hood officials will be wary in the future.
Davies may never be the player that he was. But he’s shown that in the right team he can contribute.
The challenge here was:
–very inconsistent. For instance, he got hurt against Columbus and his game was never the same.
–he and Ben Olsen butted heads. Olsen has made it very clear (with DCU declining options on 9 players) that Olsen wants HIS team and players that he chooses.
Whoever gets Davies is probably not getting an MLS all-star. But they are getting a guy with speed who is a reasonable finisher and will probably continue to improve. And a younger American attacker who can give you 7-12 goals in the run of play is nothing to sneeze at…as long as you decide he’s a fit for your program and scheme.
DCU protected Davies b/c they gave up an allocation and a spot in the order to acquire incoming USNT players. That meant that it cost them something to be able to have the chance just to work out an agreement/loan with him. So now there are other teams in MLS that might look at Davies and figure that he might continue to grow/be more consistent, like his speed and 11 goals (the majority from the run of play). Remember, coming out of college his first two choices were NE and DCU so I wouldn’t be surprised if NE was interested…for the right price.
I don’t get the sense that DCU is playing hardball here. Only recognizing that while Davies may never be what he was, he’s still a guy who can contribute to most teams in MLS and so therefore, his rights are worth something. If Davies decides he wants to play in MLS, I’m sure a deal will get done and it won’t involve DCU extorting someone’s first round pick, first team player and first born in return.
I don’t understand the vitriol over the fact that Davies got away with an unseeingly but wholly accepted part of the game. Until all players stop diving, acting like they’ve been shot to draw a penalty or card on a tackle, waste time with cramping and other ridiculous forms of time wasting in the waning moments of a match I think it’s a little disingenuous to make one guy the poster child for it. Unless it’s sour grapes because it happened against your club in which case get over it.
All I know is Davies was off to a great start and then went cold. Whether it was form fitness locker room, no one can really say unless they’re part of the team, and as far as I know no one is talking, so…
I wish him the best. He was on track to be one of the great American strikers of his generation, a real bulldog who had a knack to find a way to get the result, something every winning team needs and that the USMNT currently lacks up top. But he is part of a story that has many characters and it’s up to him and his inner circle to find a way to get him back on the page. We should all be rooting for that.
Oh, that was negative…
i’d like to state for the record that that response was every bit as funny as you intended it to be.
With Buddle coming back to life, and Altidore showing better form, the longing for Davies isn’t as strong as it used to be. I hope he does well because he is an american, he went through a rough part of life, and I like people to reach their ability. As for the National Team though, he is a ways off from it.
That’s it, the other two pks were called for fouls on other players. Both were legit if I remember correctly.
Uh, 4 of 11 isn’t half, that said he was really streaky and has not shown that he’s worth 1.3 mil.
It’s 5.5
1st game..he took a PK he didn’t earn, but later scored a goal on his own.
Why does DC still hold his rights and require a trade? I thought this was the exact situation dealt with by the re-entry draft — so why wouldn’t Davies go through the re-entry draft if DC have now declined his option?
I would love to see him come to NY, I think he’s still an explosive player and makes smart runs. In the event that Rogers is injury-prone again next season, Davies would be a great replacement. Just having him in as a striker would open up a lot of space for Henry.
Agudelo is not there yet and I don’t know about Hertzog. Perhaps Agudelo could play inside-out on the left wing so he could get the minutes to be sharp, develop his game and improve his tactical runs.
Umm, he scored four goals on PK’s. Half of 11 is not four.
Zing.
Jozy is on pace to do it in Holland this season, and has already hit 10 counting Europa. Let’s hope those kids do it soon, though.
I can think of at least two off the top of my head. Once against Omar G and the other against RSL.
Pescadito, I’m no Davies fan, but it sounds like he was riding the pine because he and Olsen had a falling out; not so much because needs to make more progress as a player.
They didn’t have anyone chosen so it didn’t end up mattering.
Half of those goals were PK’s… he wasn’t even starting the last month of the season. He has made progress but he ain’t there yet.
Davies is a victim of unrealistic expectations.
Gocch, who injured his knee shortly after Davies had his accident, is only now beginning to play a bit like his old self. One could argue that Davies’ injury was more traumatic.
His performance for United was pretty good all things considered but he clearly has a ways to go to develop the consistency he needs to get back to his old self.
I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes but if he is clashing with Olsen, he need only look as far as Bobby Convey to see what happens to former star players who insist on maintaining their pre injury star attitude.
Especially when they are making a lot of money that they aren’t necessarily earning anymore.
with several penalties padding the goal total
+1
You can also bet that the Dynamo FO isn’t going to spend DP money on him, especially if he get’s on Dom’s bad side.
hoping Agudelo and Bunbury are the next. They should head to Portugal or Holland to play
Davies is the last American striker to score over 10 goals in a European first division albeit Sweden which is like ranked 25 or so. Arguably the same level as MLS
exactly. He is quality. His first few matches for Sochaux showed that. eVEN if he’s on a relegation fodder team, he can make it.
Davies is too expensive. He probably wants at least 500 K and that’s something they not willing to spend especially if De-Ro can get them 8-10 goals next season.
For a 1.3 million dollar buyout……..um……no.
The transfer fee was somewhere around 1.3 – 1.5 million. It looks like DCU is cleaning house — this is the 10th player not picked up for the upcoming season.
How much is his loan option? To buy? Dynamo just freed up 500k and 11 goals is 6 more than anyone on our squad made.
Davies, even Ligue 2 is better than MLS especially for your re-emergence. Worry about your career. WC isn’t for 2.5years. Plenty of time for you to play games and score goals and get back into the Nats. Your competition is older and sorta good- Buddle, Gomez- and young but not quite there -Bunbury, Agudelo-.
I think you should get loaned to a Ligue 2 team or Belgium/Greece.
agreed, go back to France/Europe and do well for whoever he is loaned to.. he needs to focus on his future and making sure he is not unemployed after this deal ends.
Does anybody know what clubs for sure are interested in Davies?
which DC fell short of doing.
nothing worse than losing and playing cheap
Do we have any idea what the transfer fee requested is? It sounds like DC doesn’t want him for what the original loan agreement calls for, but I don’t see how this forecloses further negotiation between the two clubs.
On paper, awesome. In real life, doubtful. Dom doesn’t usually mix well with problem children and divers. Despite what Marschy would have you think.
Clearly he should sue DC United and Ben Olsen
Smart move by DC.
If he returns to Sochaux, he’ll be loaned out and most likely to a ligue 2 club or else they might cancel his contract. He still has alot of work and growing up to do. A stint in Ligue 2 might do him some good.
Davies to the Dynamo…mark it done.
If another MLS team picks him up, do they have to use the purchase option, is he still on loan, or can they negotiate another loan with Sochaux?
I believe more than half of Davies goals came from diving and PKs. No team can count on repeating those numbers because of how they were earned. The few games I watched at the end of the year he was deliberately invisible. First year back, maybe things will improve.
It is all about winning.
how many of Davies goals came on PKs for dives?
I would love to see Davies get back on the national team. A few years back I was super excited about the tandem of Davies and Altidore up top.
He scored 11 goals, but not worth keeping around….wow. Draw your own conclusions, but that usually/normally doesn’t add up.
I think they had to because of the loan situation. Which is not good for your team if you are not planning on keeping the player.
He’s not ready to be back in Europe yet he can’t play nice in the MLS? Davies, Davies, Davies; will he ever be back to USMNT?
🙂
He needs to come home and play for the Revs, if only because we have none attacking options now.
Di-ving Da-vies! *clap clap clap-clap-clap*
Don’t really understand why they protected him then. I would love to see stay in the MLS. There would be a better chance of him getting playing time and getting recalled to the USMNT.