Skip to main content

Opinion: Davis Departure Shows Talent Pipeline is Working

photo by Matt Kremkau

New York Red Bulls captain Sean Davis has departed the club after becoming an MLS free agent, deciding that Nashville SC is where he wants to take his talents. While it may seem like a blow to New York to lose such a long-term player, it does show that the team is able to groom players from the academy into important positions on the first team.

Davis, a product of the Red Bull Academy, started with the club in the U-23 team and worked his way up to the MLS club in record time. He was a part of the star-studded 2016 New York Red Bulls II team, overshadowed by the likes of Tyler Adams, Aaron Long and Derrick Etienne Jr. As time would show, Davis become the most consistent for New York, logging a record number of appearances and earning the captaincy through several coaching changes. 

While it may hurt some fans to see such a player leave, Davis put his time in and proved that the club is willing to nurture young players to their full potential. With him departing the club, the door is now open for others such as Daniel Edelman, to step into a spot that they know opportunities await. This is something that New York has only begun to nurture over the last seven years.

A decade ago, a player like Davis would not be able to earn minutes with the first team. Several big-name prospects, Juan Agudelo in particular, appeared poised to become a major part of the club alongside superstars like Thierry Henry. However, the impatience to help a young player grow saw his minute diminish until he no longer had a spot on the club.

Current New York Red Bulls are different. They are actively looking to push young talent and help them achieve their goals, whether they be in MLS or elsewhere as we see with Caden Clark and Kyle Duncan.

Still, there is warranted frustration from the fanbase. The team still hasn't won an MLS Cup and now had to watch crosstown rivals NYCFC do it in a fraction of the time in the league. That, combined with Davis choosing to leave for Nashville, gives off a feeling of continued loss. There isn't much the club can do to change this other than success on the field. However, it should be noted that the club and fans have always been at odds with both sides having understandable grievances.

As for Davis, his career takes the next step with Nashville. The New Jersey native has played his entire professional career in the Northeast and now moves to a different regions with different challenges. While it will be sad to see him in a new uniform next season, it is understandable that a 28 year-old would seek a new challenge and one that should be respected by both fans and his peers.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Red Bulls Announce Fan Experience Improvements

by Garry Redman On top of the theme nights announced this season, something new has been added the next time the season ticket holders and supporters step inside The Cathedral... The state-of-the-art LED lighting system at Red Bull Arena will provide higher on-field light levels for enhanced visibility and safety and introduce new entertainment features that heighten the overall experience for spectators.   Built around Musco's Total Light Control—TLC for LED™ technology, the new system is designed to provide exceptional playability and uniformity while minimizing glare. Cleaner, whiter light will elevate the broadcast quality for fans watching around the world.  Color-changing fixtures and Show-Light® Pro entertainment technology will allow the Red Bulls to wash the stadium in different colors and synchronize light shows to music, heightening the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introductions, and other big moments. If you have no idea what this means, cl...

Editorial: New York Red Bulls are Fun to Watch

photo by Matt Kremkau by Daniel Feuerstein The New York Red Bulls 2024 season starts off and running. In their first three matches, they have looked different from their last five to six seasons of doom and despair when trying to attack or have a lapse in judgment on the defensive end. The two big editions for the club are undoubtedly the imports from Sweden in Centerback Noah Elle & attacking midfielder Emil Forsberg. Two players who are a part of the Swedish National Team have started off well in Major League Soccer. We all knew what we were getting right away from Forsberg. A high-energy creative and attacking midfielder who was already bought in from day one, when Director of Sport Jochen Schneider went to Leipzig and brought him over. He was already committed to making the trip to the United States to play his brand of soccer, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Even though he has come close three times off of free kicks, hitting the crossbar twice and being saved by the ke...

Quotes: Red Bulls Show Promise, But More Work Need To Be Done

photo by Matt Kremkau Sixty seconds in a ninety-minute match. That’s all it took for Sporting Kansas City to ruin the Opening Day festivities at Red Bull Arena on Saturday night. The supporters in attendance saw crisp passing and a stout defense that kept the visitors at bay, despite not having striker Alan Pulido in the starting lineup. But significantly, the supporters were buoyed by a return to that press that has last seen since Jesse Marsch was in charge. But that was the first 45 minutes. In the second half, things turned for the better and then, shockingly, worse for the home side that evening. Midfielder Caden Clark, who scored the opening goal, spoke about the match as a whole: I’ve kept that in the back of my mind, actually, not scoring at home. I really wanted to do that in front of the supporters, and it was great to do that in front of the few that were here tonight who brought the noise. When I scored that [goal] the place was shaking, and you feed off of that and gai...