U.S. striker Davies joins French club Sochaux

Associated Press STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Sweden's Hammarby has agreed to sell American forward Charlie Davies to Sochaux of the French first division.

Davies, who played for the U.S. team that lost to Brazil in the Confederations Cup final in South Africa last month, signed with Hammarby at age 20 in 2007. "Naturally it's sad that a player like Charlie is leaving us," Hammarby chief executive Michael Andersson said on the club's Web site. "But when a player develops like Charlie has done we don't have resources to keep him. It's a problem we share with other teams in Sweden." Davies, a Manchester, N.H., native who played for Boston College, struggled during his first season but had a breakthrough year in 2008 with 14 goals. So far this season, he has scored four goals in nine games. He also had a goal for the United States in its first CONCACAF Gold Cup game, a 4-0 win over Granada on July 4.

"I think this has been a very important stretch for him," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said after his team's 2-2 Gold Cup tie with Haiti on Saturday night in which Davies entered as a 63rd-minute substitute. "To see a young striker with the kind of physical qualities that he has maturing, developing, is great. Hopefully, his transfer now will only help." Hammarby, which is struggling near the relegation zone in the 16-team Swedish first division, did not reveal the transfer sum or any details about Davies' contract with Sochaux, which finished 14th in the 20-team league last season at 9-17-12.

"I'm extremely happy right now," Davies told Swedish daily Expressen. "Naturally, it's sad to leave Hammarby. I've had a good time in Stockholm and I have many friends there. But I always wanted to take the next step. Hopefully I can keep on developing in Sochaux." Davies said he has been promised a spot in Sochaux's starting lineup. "The main reason why I choose Sochaux, besides that it's a good league, is that they wanted me in the starting 11," he said. "They really wanted me."

Charlie Davies

Né le 25/06/1986 à Manchester (États-Unis)

Pays : États-Unis

Poste : attaquant

Age : 23 ans | Taille : 1.78 m | Poids : 77 kg

International Américain

Saison 2009/2010 Tit. Remp. Min. But(s)

Matches Amicaux 1 0 90 0 0 0

Ligue 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Coupe de la Ligue 0 0 0 0 0 0

Coupe de France 0 0 0 0 0 0

Carrière

2009 Hammarby IF Suède 9 matches 4 buts

2008 Hammarby IF Suède 27 matches 14 buts

2007 Hammarby IF Suède 20 matches 3 buts

2006 Westchester Flames États-Unis

8/4/09