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D.C. United To Decide On Charlie Davies Soon

Charlie Davies entered training camp with D.C. United last week with his head on straight and a chip on his shoulder. Just like any other trialist. Who happened to have once been just months away from starting for his country in the World Cup before suffering devastating injuries in a city he would later try to play for.

When I spoke with Davies via conference call last week, he gave all the right answers. I asked him about possibly being the last remaining missing link necessary to help United score more goals in 2011 and maybe even return to the playoffs. Davies wanted none of it.

As far as now, I think my goal is to show that I'm ready. That I have what it takes to help the team. That's all I'm thinking about right now.

The goal of just making the team could be accomplished in the next few days. According to Steven Goff, Davies will be in D.C. for a medical evaluation tomorrow, and the team is expected to make a final decision on whether or not to add the forward to the roster by the end of this week. And so this thrilling and unexpected saga will conclude, either positively or negatively, just a few days after it started.

Its hard to resist reading too much into this new information. Has the team already decided to keep Davies and are going through the medical review process as a mere formality? Or has United already decided that Davies isn't worth the risk and isn't worth the money ($300,000 or so, per Goff) and are just looking for a good excuse to cut the guy loose without causing PR problems in the U.S. Soccer community that desperately wants Davies to be back to full strength?

Either way, I don't read anything into the fact that Davies didn't play in the preseason match against Florida International University earlier today. It was a match meant for United's reserves. Kurt Morsink, Devon McTavish, and the like. Andy Najar and Dax McCarty didn't play either. Davies' one goal and one assist against the Canada U-20s is what we need to be focusing on. Even if they are just kids.

Its crazy to believe that this will all be over soon. Will we be celebrating the addition of yet another talented young option for United? Or will we be left depressed, feeling as disappointed as we all felt after the home opener a year ago?

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Comments

Display:

If it doesn't happen . . .

. . . I am going to be disappointed, but not depressed. The general rebuilding effort, dubbed here by Shatz the creation of “Olsen’s Army,” deserves ample credit with or without Davies.

That said, I think it happens. If a 5-1 game matters at all in the sense of being worth your time to play, then it matters that you tally a goal and an assist. If fitness is the issue, you’ve still got five weeks-plus to get in shape. The real question is whether the injuries are still so debilitating that they make playing in MLS too ambitious. If that’s true, it’s really sad for Charlie. But DCU goes on, and this surprise move was still well worth trying.

by dccal on Feb 10, 2025 3:29 AM EST reply actions  

Prediction

I predict they’ll sign him. Both sides are motivated. Great for publicity. Compelling storylne to bring people out to watch with the racoons and $10 beers. Look at it this way, it would cost a little more than Hernandez did last year. If we get one goal from CD9 its an upgrade. If they sign him and it doesn’t work out at least everyone will know based on performance on the field. (And Bradley will look all the wiser for holding firm last summer)

If DC doesn’t sign I’ll be major bummed. I’m guessing I’m not the only one. Agree that its been a great rebuilding effort, but this would be the emotional, redemptive core of that rebuilding effort.

by Irrlicht on Feb 10, 2025 8:52 AM EST reply actions  

This Physical

I think the fact that he made it through the week, and seems to have done very well in performance and attitude, and he’s gotten to the physical is a positive sign. It tells me that probably the only thing standing between a finalized deal is the exam today. Barring something big in the physical, I think United have themselves a #9.

by The AMT on Feb 10, 2025 9:08 AM EST reply actions  

Medical Exam

I think they always said that there was a medical exam that he had to pass before any decision was made public before the trial started so I wouldn’t read anything into that. Also isn’t it customary to have a medical exam whenever loans or transfers are done? Beckham had one that was on PPV or national TV when he transferred to Real Madrid, and I wasn’t even a soccer fan when I heard that.

by HobbesLionheart on Feb 10, 2025 11:20 AM EST reply actions  

Correct

Medicals are always a part of the deal, but I think the club is more concerned with how Davies recovers from two-a-days and match play. He passed the same kind of testing at Sochaux to get back on the field for their reserves.

That’s not to say that the exam is a formality. We could have a more observant doctor than Sochaux. We could also have a doctor that misreads something and gives an incorrect report. It could be that Davies can pass the tests, but didn’t bounce back properly at camp and had bad days after the toughest workouts. For all the talk this move has generated, we know surprisingly little other than how Davies did in the intrasquad game and the Canada u20s friendly.

by ChestRockwell on Feb 10, 2025 4:30 PM EST up reply actions  

Complications

Goff is now reporting that the financial terms of the deal aren’t quite as finalized as we’d thought. This is bad bad news. Just as United was about to formally add Davies to the roster, Sochaux gets cold feet? (Or decides that he’s worth more money now that Davies has proven his value)

Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.

by Martin Shatzer on Feb 10, 2025 9:10 PM EST reply actions  


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