D.C. United Officially acquire Charlie Davies

Washington, D.C. (February 16, 2011) - D.C. United announced today that the club has acquired forward Charlie Davies. The Black-and-Red have signed the striker to a loan deal from French side FC Sochaux for the 2011 season. The club used its position in the MLS allocation ranking to acquire the forward. United will hold a press conference in the Volkswagen Lounge at RFK Stadium today at 2:00 p.m. to introduce Davies alongside President and CEO Kevin Payne, General Manager Dave Kasper, and Head Coach Ben Olsen. The press conference will be streamed live on dcunited.com.


“We are really pleased to have concluded a deal that will bring Charlie to United,” said General Manager Dave Kasper. “Charlie spent 10 days with us in our first pre-season camp and underwent a full battery of physical and medical testing. He simply looks terrific. Coming in, we weren’t sure where he would be, but he’s great physically, has impressed with his mental approach and we’re excited to see him on the field with us this season.”

Davies comes to United from Ligue 1, where he burst onto the French scene with FC Sochaux in mid 2009. Davies scored twice in his debut for Sochaux, netting a brace in a 3-2 loss to Bordeaux on August 15. Davies went on to play in eight matches for the club before sustaining serious injuries in a car accident on October 13, 2009 while on U.S. National Team duty in Washington, DC. Davies ultimately recovered from his injuries and resumed training with Sochaux in April of 2010.

“Charlie Davies is going to be a great addition to this club,” said United Head Coach Ben Olsen. “He is a player that can make a difference, and we are looking forward to seeing him contribute to the Black-and-Red.”

Prior to joining Sochaux midway through 2009, Davies scored six goals in 11 matches across all competitions for Swedish side Hammarby IF. Signing for the Allsvenskan club in 2007, the New England native scored his first goal for Hammarby on June 24 against Klaksvik in the first round of the 2007 Intertoto Cup. Davies went on to play 20 league games that season for Hammarby, scoring a hat trick and his first three league goals in the last match of the season in a win over GAIS. Davies had his best season as a professional when he scored 14 goals for Hammarby in 2008, including three multiple-goal games. The forward started 25 of the 27 matches he played for the Swedish side during the 2008 campaign.

“I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to play for D.C. United and to put on that shirt,” said Davies. “I remember watching MLS as a kid and seeing D.C. United as the top team in the League. This is a dream to be able to play for such a prominent organization.”

“The club's fans don't need any introduction,” Davies continued. “Everyone knows how passionate they are and how much joy they bring to the game and I'm excited to play for them. This past week in Florida has shown me how great the atmosphere around the team is, and I know this is a place where I can be successful. This is a group of guys that is very close, and I'm excited to be a part of it. Ben is a coach that will push me and get the most out of me, and the ultimate goal is to help this team turn it around for this upcoming season and to put D.C. United on the map.”

At the international level Davies earned ascendancy quickly within Bob Bradley’s team prior to his accident. Davies played in 13 games for the U.S. Men’s National Team in 2009, scoring three goals. During the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, he played in four of the five matches, including the final against Brazil. On August 12, 2009, Davies became only the fourth U.S. player to score at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City in the team’s World Cup qualifying loss to Mexico. He also appeared in two games during the United States’ run to the Gold Cup final, scoring against Grenada on July 6 in Seattle.

On October 15, 2008, Davies scored his first senior international goal in the United States’ 2-1 loss to Trinidad and Tobago during the CONCACAF qualifying rounds for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He earned his first international cap on June 2, 2007 in a friendly with China in San Jose, Calif. The forward went on to be part of the 2007 Copa America roster in Venezuela, where he was a teammate of D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen.
Collegiately, Davies played three seasons at Boston College. The New Hampshire native started 16 games in 2006 as a junior, scoring 15 goals to partner six assists. Davies led all ACC scorers in points per game, goals per game, and game-winning goals, as well as becoming the nation’s leader in points per game (2.25) and being second in goals per game (.94). He was named one of three finalists for the Hermann Trophy, earning NSCAA All-America First Team honors. Davies was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year and he was also selected as the nation’s premier forward by Soccer America. Davies finished his college career with 24 goals and 10 assists in 37 appearances.



Name: Charlie Davies

Position: Forward

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 160

Jersey: 9

Date of Birth: June 25, 1986

Age: 24

Place of Birth: Manchester, New Hampshire

Citizenship: United States

Last Club: FC Sochaux

Acquired: Signed from FC Sochaux to a loan deal on February 16, 2011.