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Revolution acquire Charlie Davies

Charlie Davies

By IVES GALARCEP

The New England Revolution are preparing to lose one U.S. Men’s National Team pool player, but are now set to add a player with plenty of national team appearances, and ties to the New England area.

The Revolution have completed a deal to acquire former former U.S. Men’s National Team striker Charlie Davies, sources confirmed to SBI on Thursday. The deal is expected to be announced as early as Friday.

Davies will join the Revs on a six-month loan deal from Danish club Randers for the rest of the season, with New England holding an option to buy Davies outright when the season ends.

The 27-year-old striker has spent the past season with Randers, after a season with D.C. United in 2011. He scored 11 goals with D.C., but his relationship with head coach Ben Olsen soured, and he ultimately returned to Europe, where he was eventually released by Sochaux.

The former U.S. striker saw his career derailed by a deadly car accident in October of 2009 that nearly claimed his life. After an arduous recovery, Davies made his way back onto the playing field with D.C. United, where he showed some glimpses of his pre-injury form, notching 11 goals.

A New England native who played high school and college soccer in Massachusetts, Davies will look to revive his career on a New England side that is on the verge of losing forward Juan Agudelo, and is rumored to be considering offers for Saer Sene and Jerry Bengtson, with an unidentified Greek club believed to be lining up a bid for Bengtson.

D.C. United had the right of first refusal on adding Davies, but passed on him, clearing the way for him to join a Revolution side still battling for a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

What do you think of this development? Glad to have Davies back in MLS? Think he can make an impact for the Revs? Hoping Agudelo sticks around so we can see a Davies-Agudelo tandem up top?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. You know what bothers me and I bet a lot of other US fans about CD – he never showed any remorse for the girl in the car with him who died. If he did, I never read about it and I was all over this story as was everyone. We know he’ll never be the same player. If if makes it as a bench player and gets a few more years he should be happy. But his whole making it all about him just doesn’t sit right.

    Reply
    • So now we’re demanding that athletes share their grieving process with us? Should he have instagrammed a page out of his journal where he recorded his emotions? Maybe put something on twitter?

      I hope you get your apology someday, so you can finally come to terms with this tragedy.

      Reply
  2. I think having the support of family and friends in the NE area will help CD out. Good luck to him and I hope he proves all of the naysayers wrong.

    Reply
  3. Typical Revs management move. Lose a kid with promise, sign another bargain basement player and tout him as a replacement.

    I hope Charlie has something left and maybe being home will help him find it. As for Bengtson, I’d trade him for a case of Harpoon any day… Totally useless. Losing Sene would hurt and frankly, I don’t see why they would consider it?

    This franchise has been in a tailspin since losing Ralston (retirement), Twellman (injury), Dempsey and Parkhurst. We have never recovered and have tried to do so without spending much money. 800K under the cap and we can’t find anybody? Why

    Reply
  4. Yes it would be fun to watch a Agdulo and Charlie’s Davies tandem. All they would need to do is sign Adu and they would have an all future stars turned busts team.

    Watch out MLS the king of dives and PK’s is back.

    He will score double digits, but 90% will be pks

    Reply
  5. For a while there it looked like he was going to be very special. After the injury he’s but a shadow of what he was before. I’d love to see him get his physical ability back, but since that isn’t going to happen, maybe he is being reformed as more of a technician (he wasn’t bad technically to begin with, either).

    Reply
  6. Mark my words: By the 2018 World Cup you will have Matty Horth and Charlie Davies starting up front for both the Revs and USMNT

    Reply
  7. Sigh…it’s like hearing news of that beautiful woman that you almost….almost….found happiness with….

    You just don’t want to go there again….

    Reply
    • “D.C. United had the right of first refusal on adding Davies, but passed on him, clearing the way for him to join a Revolution side still battling for a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs.”

      Source: Scroll up.

      Reply
  8. I too was a CD fan, and thought he had the tools and drive to become a major player in Europe..not anymore, and not in MLS.

    Anyone else notice this is the continuation of a disturbing trend for the NE Revs? A tactical direction different from most franchises in the league? Despite many of the other teams in the league making aggressive moves to improve their on-field product, the Revs continue to try to patch together undervalued veterans and untested young players into a (hopefully) competitive unit.

    There’s no question Agudelo had lots of upside potential, but with his contract renewal coming up, the Revs are letting him go. I’m thinking he was looking to negotiate for more $$. To compensate, the Revs pick up CD, who it appears no one in Europe or MLS really wanted. I think CD took what the Revs offered, and Bob Kraft just cut the Revs operating expense with these moves.

    Both Bengston and Sene were low-cost and low-risk acquisitions. If Europe offers a pay upgrade, see you later.

    Reply
    • The moves and rumors doesn’t mean that is a disturbing trend. Agudelo was a rental player with an expiring contract. It was always expected that He was going to go to abroad after this season.

      Sene was a low risk signing who has a European pedigree (Bayern Munich) and he has been very productive so it normal for rumors to pop up. It’s not like the Revs are actively shopping him.

      Bengston is a DP so he’s not a low-cost and low-risk acquisition. He has been given many opportunities to produce but it just isn’t working out. Bengston is also out of form on the Honduran team. I wouldn’t expect him to be here next year.

      You didn’t mention Kalifa Cisse (who was released this week) but he was expensive ($400k), was often injured and had fallen to 3rd on the depth chart at defensive mid. Too expensive for a third stringer.

      The Revs are only in the 2nd year of rebuilding under Heaps and has been far more watchable and dangerous. They’re actually contending for a playoff spot and have the one of the best defenses in the league.

      Reply
      • I beg to differ. I don’t see Agudelo as a rental player. If he can produce, keep him. At his age, groom him. The Revs didn’t seem to make much of an effort. I mean, he signed a pre-contract.

        Sene being low risk is the same as undervalued. I think he has proved his worth. Doesn’t it make sense to try to hold onto a contributing player?

        Beingston as a DP? Compare his value to other DPs in the league. I’d don’t rate him at a DP level. That didn’t make sense to me.

        I do give credit for the Revs for building through the youth academy. Both Caldwell and Fagundez came up through that path. Time will tell what a team does over time does with a growing talent like Fagundez.

        I agree they have a solid defense. AJ Soares can’t break the lineup. And I think Farrell is a great addition, and one to keep an eye on for the future.

        Maybe I ‘ll go back to watch a game. I used to go a lot a few years back. We’ll see….

  9. If Jozy needs a speedy partner up top to be consistently effective … Donovan could fulful that role. Even at 31, he’s still has elite speed and had even better movement and touch on the ball than the pre-accident CD9.

    Reply
    • Charlie was faster! Remember when he silenced Azteca! Boss! I really think charlie’s gonna get his confidence back that’s all he needs he scored some preseason goals for randers and he did look good when he actually played just needs to finish! Cd9 is back baby!

      Reply
    • CD was faster and RAN at defenses. Plus he worked off the ball like a mad man. He was the guy that when you play D you say where the f is he… damn. Watch Landon he doesn’t work that hard off the ball. Doesn’t win that many 50/50s.

      Reply
  10. I think this is a great move for CD9 and, in turn, a bold move for Agudelo. While one former USMNT member tries to resurrect his career another tries to establish one. If Davies can work hard and bag a few his confidence will return. If he can put together a few good seasons who’s to say he can’t be a Wondo-type and contribute on the international level at 29, 30, 31? Or like Herc for that matter? I think this is good for him. Good luck Charlie, just don’t score against my Red Bulls.

    Reply
  11. Davies is really the replacement for Bengtson, assuming he gets moved as rumored, not Agudelo.

    He could be a good fit, style-wise, for the Revs. With a lot of attacking mids, possessing and creating, what they’ve really needed is a forward to make definitive attacking runs.

    Reply
  12. I haven’t lived a perfect life, so I’m in no place to judge Davies life choices and how those life choices have affected his career both on the pitch and off.

    At this point, I just hope he finds peace on the pitch and enjoys the remaining 5 years or so of his career. Would be awesome to see some spark of return to form for him…we all know he’s been through a lot.

    Reply
      • i don’t think that is true. plenty of players who were on the fringes of the US have gone through the allocation process. heck, even Ocegueda was subject to it and it prevented him from going on loan to Chivas USA awhile back. and he’s never played for the senior team.

        i think since DC held his rights, he was subject to that process and not allocation. i believe it was Hanauer who just recently stated that a player will only be subject to one “process” if they qualify under multiple “processes”.

      • I should probably know this but…is there an actual list of players that form a defined player pool? If so what’s the process of being included on the list? Is there a regular update monthly update where players are added and subtracted?

      • No. There’s no list. It all depends if Garber’s intern f&*ked up the coffee that morning or not.

    • DCU still held his rights. Probably traded them to NE so he could be signed there. Likely part of this deal is DCU getting something from NE.

      If no MLS team had held his MLS rights then potentially he would have been subject to allocation if he was on the mystical allocation list.

      Reply
    • Ditto. CD still has the head and athleticism to be a good player in the MLS – if he has the right mentality. He will never get back to being the player he was, but that doesnt mean he is finished. I saw enough of him in DC to see that he can still play if his mind is right.

      Reply
  13. With this deal done, that might clear the way for Agudelo to go to Stoke during the transfer window. He didn’t score a lot of goals for the Revs either due to injuries. I can’t see how this helps the Revs much. And I agree with the person who wondered how that turf in Foxboro will reverberate through Charlie’s titanium limbs.

    Reply
    • The Revs are a very different team with Agudelo on the field. I’m not sure they will let him go unless they can renegotiate his transfer fee rights with NY (Red Bulls own 80% of his rights.)

      Reply
    • Olsen before he destroyed his ankle.

      And let’s not forget that O’Brien did do something besides get hurt. He played 90 mintutes every game at WC 2002, putting in*arguably* the best WC an American ever has.

      Reply
    • In the 2010 WC we pretty much didn’t have Gooch, Holden, Davies and Jermaine Jones. Imagine if instead of Clark we had JJ, instead of Findley or Buddle we had Davies. Imagine if both Gooch and Holden were 100%.

      Reply
      • We lost the game against Ghana on two days in Washington DC well before the Cup started. Davies was destroyed the night before, and Onyewu during the game.

  14. Still have my WC 2010 Davies jersey, and I wear it with pride. If you are a believer in the multiverse theory, somewhere out there his accident never happened, and he scored the tying and winning goals against Ghana in the second round.

    Reply
  15. Considering that a whole lot of people know that Portland and Seattle have the top two allocation spots, can I infer that DC still held the rights to Davies? And that if they passed on him, they must have transferred his rights to NE, yes?

    Reply
    • Here ya go whaaaa…….. let me spoon feed you:

      “D.C. United had the right of first refusal on adding Davies, but passed on him, clearing the way for him to join a Revolution side still battling for a place in the Eastern Conference playoffs.”

      Totally on your own for the burping though.

      Reply
      • Goff is reporting a trade with NE and DC. I’ve seen other rumors of a DC/Chicago/NE deal. Any of that would be good news for DC given that he wasn’t doing them any good in Denmark.

  16. I really hope he can find his scoring from again, and makes something out of this career that once seemed so promising….here’s to hoping he gets 4 or 5 goals before the end of this season

    Reply
      • This.

        It sucks to think that at 23 he was tearing it up, and now at 27 he’s not even a shadow of the player he once was.

        He could have been in his prime and playing top level soccer (aka a top 5 league) for the past four years now and going into a World Cup at the perfect time in his career.

        I’m going to stop now, or else I’ll get depressed.

      • He was definitely our best striker and one of the most important members of the starting 11 before his injury. His speed, movement and work rate really set the tone for the rest of the team and he worked so well with Jozy. The loss of him and Onyewu that week really hurt our team. Best striker and best defender gone just like that.

      • Yup…

        5 years ago if someone had told you that there would be a day when a US National team star would return home to MLS from a big club and sign a multi-million dollar contract with great fanfare following a great run in Europe, you would just as easily guessed it would be CD as Dempsey.

    • I always get really sad and a bit excited when I think about Davies and the Confederations Cup of 2009. Excited because of how great it was and sad because of how close they came to winning and how great it would have been to keep Davies, Onyewu, and Demerit injury-free at least through the 2010 world cup. Let’s remember Davies scoring the opening goal against Egypt in that tournament: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkZ6DMdeXc0

      and the blazing speed and perfect pass he displayed combining with Donovan for that second goal in the final against Brazil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wZ6lMHRFSs

      Reply
      • The guy was quicker and worked harder than almost anyone. A state wrestling champion and it showed. He also had the most fun.

        I just watched the Spain highlights again and it was CD who dribbled right at spain’s D for goal initiating the events leading to goal 2.. He woulda been our chicharito and playing Champions league.

    • Nope. No goals.

      Good moves Revs. Lets start talks to release 3 guys who have produced for the club, and sign a guy who hasn’t scored a goal since 2011. Awesome. Glad to see we’re so focused on a playoff run…

      Reply
      • I read in the Washington Post CD settled a lawsuit with the bar and rb in relations to his accident and how it prevented him from going back to the us national team.

        If you win a lawsuit with arguments like that shouldnt you retire? Aren’t you resigned to the fact you will never make the national team again which pretty much means you will not have a productive mls career? Since if you do well in MLS usually you can get into the B level friendlies on a national team level…

      • He can always turn down callups or retire from international play. The truth is that he’s never going to make it back to his previous level, which is a shame.

        I cheered him when he returned in DC, and his two goals on his debut are still a cherished memory, but it didn’t last.

      • If he argued that it prevented him from *ever* going back to the national team, then maybe so. But if he just argued that it has prevented him from making it back to the national team to this point, there’s nothing in that argument that indicates resignation to future failure to make it back.

      • If he “settled” the lawsuit, it doesn’t matter what arguments he would have made because he never actually made them. Settling a case means the facts and legal arguments are never submitted to the bench/jury.

        Regardless of who was at fault or negligent in relation to the car accident, Davies’ career trajectory took an undisputed dive. His being loaned to New England because he couldn’t make it at Randers is hardly proof that he has recovered his old abilities.

    • I think it’s 22 games without a goal. As a DCU fan, Davies is done. Those 11 goals were thanks to a lot of PKs. His field play was poor. Unfortunately, it seems the accident also affected his attitude as Olsen almost blatantly pointed out over and over. Davies can blame who he wants; the blame ultimately falls on his shoulders.

      Reply
      • Nah, he had two dives that led to PKs. But he also took PKs for fouls that he didn’t earn.

        Davis did some good things when he was here with DCU. But he clearly wasn’t close to the player he used to be and he kept agitating publicly to play b/c of his goal total when things like his touch, his decision-making, his finishing were all incredibly rusty.

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