Three ways Charlie Davies helps the Philadelphia Union now and going forward

So, he’s not quite as flashy as an Ale Bedoya, but Charlie Davies makes a lot of sense for the Union. Let’s break down why I’m pretty happy with the move.

1. The Union needed another forward
No surprise here, right? This was something everyone had been clamoring for since Fabian Herbers was getting a good chunk of minutes up top off the bench. Davies not only provides experience (save that thought for later) but he’s got a different game from Sapong. He’s a smaller guy at 5’10” who will look to pick apart defenses by getting in behind them, as opposed to plowing straight through them. With a bolstered midfield that will presumably have better service to the forwards, Davies should have plenty of opportunities to work with. He also adds a second dimension to an attack that at times has looked stagnant.

2. Experience
Davies has had plenty of European experience but for the sake of the Union, his MLS service is the most relevant. He’s spent the last three years (one on loan) with the New England Revolution. His 14 goals in 60 appearances isn’t going to make anyone go out and proclaim that he’s the best goal scorer we’ve ever had, but look at those Revolution teams. In his three years with the Revolution, the team has made the playoffs every year, making the conference finals, the MLS cup and the knockout stage of the postseason. He’s a guy who has been there and done that, and for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011, having Davies on the roster is a big lift to stabilize our first real hunt for playoff soccer in a few years.

3. Development
Davies is going to be the number two guy on the depth chart which is fantastic because our current back-up isn’t ready yet. Herbers has shown moments of brilliance, including a goal of the week nominee against Columbus Crew SC. However, I think he could use at least the rest of this year to really develop his full body of work in Bethlehem. He’s got a sweet strike and his calm finish in the USOC match against the Revolution showed a bunch of poise for a rookie, but he needs to improve his off ball movement before he’s a viable number two. Now we have a comparable striker to Herbers who can develop the young German in and out of training, which will be huge for both guys.

Thoughts? Rebuttals? Concerns? Leave ‘em in the comments!