As Martin Shatzer just tweeted, D.C. United is currently off for two days back in the District before heading off to California for the second part of training camp. On one of these two days, there has to be a resolution of the Charlie Davies situation. He has played very well against the competition he has faced and, combined with the other moves made this offseason, there are glimmers of hope for United fans this season. Not signing him at this point, unless there is a huge undisclosed medical issue or ridiculous contract demands from Sochaux, would deflate all of the energy that has been building since this trial was announced.
Honestly, if they do not sign Davies, I would have rather they not brought him in at all. Playing the long game by building with United’s young core and supplementing it through the academy, draft, and smart signings was good enough for me. It showed me that the era of impulsive signings to try and stave off rebuilding one more year were over and that United was committed to entering MLS 2.0. I know that this was not enough for some fans, but I would rather take the FC Dallas approach than the LA Galaxy one. But now the possibility of Charlie Davies signing with D.C., combined with United’s commitment to the long game, has ratcheted up expectations. Now, its feasible that they could compete for a spot in the playoffs this year and not just playing for 2 years down the line. That is what I am hoping for today or tomorrow: a Valentine’s day present from Kevin Payne and Dave Kasper.
Before Extra Time 