Charlie Davies facts for kids
Davies during a 2011 regular season match against the Houston Dynamo
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Charles Desmond Davies | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | June 25, 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Manchester, New Hampshire, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Boston College Eagles | 37 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | Westchester Flames | 9 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Hammarby IF | 56 | (21) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Sochaux | 10 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | → D.C. United (loan) | 26 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Randers | 23 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → New England Revolution (loan) | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | New England Revolution | 60 | (14) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Philadelphia Union | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | → Bethlehem Steel (loan) | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 174 | (55) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | United States U20 | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | United States U23 | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | United States | 17 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:40, October 29, 2017 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Charles Desmond Davies (born on June 25, 1986) is an American former professional soccer player. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals.
Charlie Davies set many soccer records in high school. He then played for the Boston College Eagles and the Westchester Flames in college. Davies signed his first professional contract with a Swedish club called Hammarby IF in December 2006. Later, he joined Sochaux in July 2009.
Davies played seventeen games for the United States national team between 2007 and 2009. He scored four goals for his country.
On October 13, 2009, Davies was in a serious car crash. This accident caused him severe injuries. It meant he could not play in the 2010 World Cup. This event also largely ended his international playing career.
Contents
Early Life and College Soccer
Charlie Davies was born in New Hampshire. His father, Kofi Davies, who came from the Gambia, coached him in soccer from a young age. Charlie went to the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts. He graduated in 2004.
At Brooks School, Charlie broke many scoring records. He scored twenty-nine goals in his junior year and thirty goals in his senior year. In his final year, he helped Brooks School achieve a perfect 15–0 league record. They also won the New England Class-A Championship. Davies was also a talented wrestler at Brooks. He won the New England Prep School Championship three times.
After high school, Davies attended Boston College. He was a star player for the Eagles for three seasons. A knee injury cut his second season short. During his college years, he also played for the Westchester Flames. He scored six goals in nine games for them. He finished his college career with twenty-four goals and ten assists in thirty-seven games.
Professional Soccer Career
After three years of college, Davies decided to become a professional soccer player. He was a highly sought-after player. Many expected him to be a top pick in the MLS SuperDraft. However, Davies chose to sign with Nike. He wanted to try playing soccer in Europe instead of joining Major League Soccer.
Playing for Hammarby
Davies signed his first professional contract with the Swedish club Hammarby IF in December 2006. At first, he struggled to score goals. He often switched between being a starter and a substitute. On June 24, 2007, he scored his first goal for the club. It was the winning goal in a game against Klaksvik in the 2007 Intertoto Cup.
In the last game of the 2007 season, Davies scored three goals, which is called a hat-trick. The 2008 season was a big success for Davies. He scored fourteen goals in twenty-seven games. His strong performance led to rumors about him moving to a bigger club. However, he stayed with Hammarby.
The 2009 season started well for Davies. He scored four goals in the first nine league games. He also scored two goals in extra time during a Swedish Cup match. This helped his team win 3–2. Davies left Hammarby after receiving a five-match suspension.
Time at Sochaux
On July 10, 2009, Davies signed with the French club Sochaux. In his second game with Sochaux, on August 15, he came in as a substitute and scored two goals. Sochaux lost the game 3–2. However, after only eight games with the club, Davies was seriously injured in a car crash in the United States.
On April 26, 2010, Davies returned to full training with his club. He was finally on the game roster on December 19. After spending 2011 on loan, Davies returned to Sochaux. He played his first game since his accident on February 11, 2012.
Loan to D.C. United
Davies joined D.C. United on loan for the 2011 MLS season. He made his debut on March 19, 2011, as a substitute. He scored two goals in that game. A week later, he scored his third goal. By May 4, he was leading MLS in scoring with six goals.
On September 11, Davies scored another hat-trick. This helped D.C. United win 3–0. The team announced on December 1, 2011, that they would not keep him permanently. After his loan, Davies talked about his disappointment with the club's season. He also mentioned a disagreement with the coaching staff.
Playing for Randers
Davies left Sochaux and signed a two-year deal with the Danish team Randers. He made his debut for Randers on July 22, 2012. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 win. He did not score any goals or start any games during his time at the club.
New England Revolution
On August 8, 2013, Davies was loaned to the New England Revolution for the rest of the 2013 MLS season. In early 2014, Davies joined New England permanently.
Davies was a very important player for New England in 2014. He helped them reach the MLS Cup final. He scored several goals in the playoffs. This included the winning goal against the New York Red Bulls.
At the end of the 2015 MLS season, Davies was named the Midnight Riders Man of the Year. He scored 10 goals for the Revolution that season.
Philadelphia Union and Retirement
On August 3, 2016, New England traded Davies to Philadelphia Union. He played for the Union until the end of the 2017 season.
Davies announced his retirement from playing soccer on March 2, 2018.
International Soccer Career
Youth Teams
Davies played ten games for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team. He did not make the team for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. However, the U-20 team included him in the Elite Milk Cup competition a month later. He led the team to the final and scored a hat trick. This made him the MVP of the competition. It also gave the U.S. its first Milk Cup win.
Davies then focused on the under-23 national team. He trained and played with this team. He made the team for the men's tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in one game at the Olympics. He almost scored a goal that would have sent his team to the next round.
Senior National Team
Davies played his first game for the senior national team on June 2, 2007. It was a friendly game against China. On October 15, 2008, he scored his first national team goal. This was during a World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago.
He scored his second national team goal against Egypt in the 2009 Confederations Cup. On August 12, 2009, Davies scored the first goal in a game against Mexico. He became only the fourth American to score against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium.
Davies was not on the U.S. team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. His French club team, Sochaux, did not clear him to play due to his injuries.
Personal Life and Health
Automobile Accident
On October 13, 2009, Davies was a passenger in an SUV. The vehicle went out of control and hit a railing. This accident caused Davies to suffer severe injuries. These included a bladder injury, broken bones in his leg and arm, and facial fractures. He also had some bleeding on his brain.
Davies worked hard to recover from his injuries. He returned to training with his club in France. However, his injuries prevented him from playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Cancer Diagnosis
In the spring of 2016, Davies was diagnosed with liposarcoma. This is a type of cancer.
Images for kids
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Davies playing for D.C. United.
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Charlie Davies before a match for the U.S. national team.
See also
In Spanish: Charlie Davies para niños
