Charlie Davies

Charles Davies
Born	(1986-06-25) June 25, 1986 New Hampshire, United States
Occupation	Professional soccer player (retired)
Years active	2006–2017
Known for	Professional soccer striker; played for Hammarby IF, Sochaux, D.C. United, Randers, New England Revolution, Philadelphia Union; United States national team

Charles Desmond Davies (born June 25, 1986) is a retired American professional soccer striker.

Before his collegiate career with the Boston College Eagles and semi-professional stint at Westchester Flames, Davies established multiple scoring records at Brooks School. In December 2006, he inked his inaugural professional deal with Swedish top-tier club Hammarby IF, later transferring to French side Sochaux in July 2009.

Between 2007 and 2009, Davies appeared seventeen times for the United States national team, tallying four goals.

Davies suffered a severe car accident on October 13, 2009, along the George Washington Parkway. The crash resulted in a fatality of a passenger and ended his opportunity to compete in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, effectively bringing his international career to an early close.

Early life

Originating from New Hampshire, Davies was motivated to pursue soccer by his father Kofi Davies, who emigrated from the Gambia. He completed his secondary education at the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts, graduating in 2004 alongside fellow professional Mike Fucito. During his time at Brooks, Davies set new scoring benchmarks with 29 goals as a junior and 30 as a senior, guiding the team to an undefeated 15–0 league record and capturing the New England Class-A Championship. Beyond soccer, he excelled in wrestling, securing three New England Prep School titles and earning National Prep All-American recognition.

Davies continued his athletic development at Boston College, representing the Eagles across three seasons. His sophomore campaign was cut short due to a knee injury sustained in the opening game. Concurrently, he competed with the Westchester Flames in the USL Premier Development League, where he scored six goals over nine matches. In 2006, he was among the finalists for the prestigious Hermann Trophy, concluding his collegiate tenure with 24 goals and 10 assists in 37 appearances, including an impressive 15 goals in just 16 games during his final season.

Professional career

Opting to leave Boston College after three years without completing his degree, Davies chose to turn professional early. This decision meant foregoing a probable high selection in the MLS SuperDraft and a potential Generation Adidas contract. Instead, he partnered with Nike to explore European opportunities rather than entering Major League Soccer.

Hammarby

Following an unsuccessful trial period with Dutch outfit Ajax, Davies secured his first professional contract with Swedish top division club Hammarby IF in December 2006. Though initially part of the starting lineup, he struggled to find consistent scoring form and alternated between starting and substitute roles. His inaugural goal for Hammarby came on June 24, 2007, during the 2007 Intertoto Cup against Klaksvik. However, he did not score in league play until the final game of the 2007 season when he recorded a hat-trick versus GAIS. Davies credits head coach Tony Gustavsson and teammate Sebastián Eguren for significantly enhancing his dedication and work ethic.

The following year proved pivotal as Davies netted fourteen goals across twenty-seven appearances, predominantly as a starter. Despite speculation linking him to larger European clubs, he remained loyal to Hammarby.

In early 2009, Davies contributed four goals within nine league fixtures and added two crucial extra-time strikes in a Swedish Cup match against Åtvidaberg, leading to a 3–2 victory. Nevertheless, he faced a five-game suspension after elbowing opponent Michael Almebäck, which resulted in a severe mouth injury. Shortly thereafter, Davies departed Sweden to rejoin the U.S. national team setup, marking the end of his tenure at Hammarby.

Sochaux

Davies joined Ligue 1 side Sochaux on July 10, 2009. In only his second match on August 15, he came off the bench to score twice, despite the team's 3–2 defeat to Bordeaux. After making eight appearances, Davies suffered a severe injury due to a car accident in the United States. He resumed full training on April 26, 2010, and later returned to the matchday squad on December 19 in a fixture against Bordeaux.

Following a loan spell at D.C. United in 2011, Davies rejoined Sochaux and made his first appearance after the accident on February 11, 2012, in a 1–0 loss to Rennes.

D.C. United

After undergoing a ten-day trial period, Davies secured a loan move to D.C. United for the 2011 MLS season. He made an immediate impact by scoring twice as a substitute in his debut on March 19 against the Columbus Crew. A week later, he found the net again during a 2–1 defeat to New England. By May 4, Davies led the MLS scoring charts with six goals. On June 24, he received a $1,000 fine for simulation. On September 11, Davies recorded a hat-trick assisted by Chris Pontius in a commanding 3–0 victory over Chivas USA, which clinched United’s final playoff berth.

However, on December 1, 2011, D.C. United chose not to exercise their option to sign him permanently. Following the loan, Davies expressed dissatisfaction with how the club managed his tenure and reported conflicts with coaching personnel.

Randers

At season’s end, Davies neared departure from Sochaux after agreeing to terminate his contract amid speculation linking him and teammate Jozy Altidore to AZ. Nevertheless, AZ’s technical director refuted any interest. Davies ultimately committed to Danish side Randers on a two-year contract. He made his debut as a substitute in a 1–0 victory over OB on July 22, 2012, but left without starting any matches or scoring goals.

New England Revolution

On August 8, 2013, Davies joined the New England Revolution on loan for the remainder of that MLS season. Early in 2014, he and Randers mutually agreed to terminate his contract, facilitating a permanent transfer to New England.

Davies played an integral role during New England’s journey to the MLS Cup final, contributing vital goals against both the Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls. Notably, he scored the decisive goal in the second leg against the Red Bulls that secured a 4–3 aggregate win.

Following the conclusion of the 2015 MLS campaign, Davies was honored as the Midnight Riders Man of the Year after tallying ten goals for the Revolution.

Philadelphia Union

On August 3, 2016, New England traded Davies along with a third-round selection in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft to Philadelphia Union in exchange for a first-round pick in that draft plus general and targeted allocation money.

Davies was released by Philadelphia after the completion of the 2017 Philadelphia Union season. He officially retired from professional soccer on March 2, 2018.

Youth

Davies took part in ten matches with the United States U-20 men's national soccer team, primarily coming off the bench, though he narrowly missed selection for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship squad. Subsequently, he was named to the U-20 roster for the prestigious Elite Milk Cup, where he played a pivotal role by netting a hat trick and securing MVP recognition, guiding the team to its inaugural Milk Cup triumph.

Advancing his international career, Davies joined the United States under-23 men's national soccer team and earned a spot in the squad for the men's competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He appeared as a substitute in one of three matches, coming close to scoring a decisive goal against Nigeria that would have propelled the team into the knockout phase.

Senior

Davies made his first appearance for the senior squad on June 2, 2007, entering as a substitute during a 4–1 friendly victory over China in San Jose, California. Later that summer, he featured in the 2007 Copa América held in Venezuela. On October 15, 2008, he recorded his inaugural goal for the national team during a 2–1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago in the third round of CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. At the 2009 Confederations Cup group stage finale, Davies scored against Egypt and assisted Jozy Altidore’s goal versus Spain. On August 12, 2009, he opened scoring in a 2–1 loss to Mexico at the renowned Azteca Stadium, becoming only the fourth American player to find the net at that venue.

Davies was excluded from the final roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup after his French club, Sochaux, declined to medically clear him due to severe injuries sustained in an October 2009 car accident.

Automobile crash

On October 13, 2009, Davies was involved as a passenger in an SUV collision on the George Washington Parkway, which tragically resulted in the death of a 22-year-old woman and left Davies with serious injuries. His medical conditions included a lacerated bladder, fractures to both tibia and femur bones, an elbow fracture, facial fractures, and brain hemorrhaging. Although initially anticipated to return by March for World Cup participation, his recovery advanced with jogging reported by January 2010 and light training resumed by March; however, Sochaux ultimately did not grant medical clearance for his World Cup inclusion.

In 2011, Davies initiated a $20 million lawsuit against Das Enterprises (operators of Shadow Room nightclub) and Red Bull North America concerning their involvement related to alcohol service prior to the crash. The family of the deceased woman also pursued legal action. Davies reached a confidential settlement in October 2012.

Cancer diagnosis

In early 2016, Davies received a diagnosis of liposarcoma.

Club

Data accurate as of December 22, 2021.

Club	Season	League			National cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Westchester Flames	2006	USL PDL	9	6			–		–		9	6
Hammarby	2007	Allsvenskan	20	3	0	0	8	1	–		28	4
	2008	Allsvenskan	27	14	4	1	–		–		31	15
	2009	Allsvenskan	9	4	2	3	–		–		11	7
	Total		56	21	6	4	8	1	–		70	26
Sochaux	2009–10	Ligue 1	8	2	0	0	–		–		8	2
	2010–11	Ligue 1	0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
	2011–12	Ligue 1	2	0	0	0	–		–		2	0
	Total		10	2	0	0	–		–		10	2
D.C. United (loan)	2011	MLS	26	11	1	0	–		–		27	11
Randers	2012–13	Danish Superliga	23	0	3	0	–		–		26	0
New England Revolution (loan)	2013	MLS	4	0	colspan=4 | –	–				4	0
New England Revolution	2014	MLS	18	3	1	0	colspan=4 | –	5	4	24	7
	2015	MLS	33	10	0	0	–				–				33	10
	2016	MLS	9	1	0	0	–				–				9	1
	Total		75	14	1	0	–		5	4	84	18
Philadelphia Union	2016	MLS	8	0	0	0	–				–				8	0
	2017	MLS	3	0	0	0	–				–				3	0
	Total		11	0	0	0	–				–				11	0
Bethlehem Steel (loan)	2017 USL season	USL Championship	1	1	0	0	–		–		1	1
Career total			184	62	11	4	8	1	5	4	208	71

International

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
01.	15 October 2008	Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Template:Fb	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
02.	21 June 2009	Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa	Template:Fb	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
03.	6 July 2009	Qwest Field, Seattle, United States	Template:Fb	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center
04.	12 August 2009	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Template:Fb	Template:Center	Template:Center	Template:Center