The Union have a lot of highly-regarded prospects in their pipeline. But for observers outside the walls of the club’s practice facility, it’s sometimes hard to judge their progress.
One player who has created a tangible track record for himself is forward Eddy Davis. The 18-year-old scored 14 goals for the Union’s reserve team last year, making him the top scorer on a squad that reached the MLS Next Pro league’s title game.
Davis’ feats were made more impressive because he played as an amateur, not as a professional with a reserve-team deal.
That part seemed certain to get taken care of this offseason, and it now has. A source confirmed Davis has signed first-team contract as a homegrown player, confirming an initial report by soccer transfer news site GiveMeSport.
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Davis grew up in the Los Angeles area, then moved east in early 2022 to join the New York Red Bulls’ academy. He only stayed there for a few months before moving south to the Union.
His potential here attracted not only scouts, but a coach to the Union’s staff. Bradford Jamieson IV was highly-touted youngster himself a decade ago, with the Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. youth national teams. He got to know Davis through Southern California soccer circles, and Davis connected Jamieson to the Union.
The signing will bring the Union’s forward corps to six: starters Mikael Uhre and Tai Baribo, veteran backup Chris Donovan, and past him Markus Anderson, Nelson Pierre, and Davis. Pierre’s future seems a bit murky at the moment, since he isn’t with the Union at their preseason training camp in Spain.
New manager Bradley Carnell said last week that the staff would “at a later date determine how and where Nelson fits in.”
If Pierre doesn’t stay, there would definitely be room to sign a third starting-caliber striker to rotate with Uhre and Baribo. (And if he does, there would be nothing wrong with such a signing anyway.)
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There is less doubt about Nelson’s younger brother Neil Pierre. The 17-year-old, who already stands 6-foot-5, has been touted as the best centerback in the history of an organization that produced U.S. national team regulars Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty.
It’s been presumed for a while that Pierre would sign a first-team deal this winter, and there were reports in November that he had. But it still hasn’t been announced yet, and it’s one of soccer’s eternal lessons that a deal isn’t official until it’s official.
A source with knowledge of the matter said that should finally be taken care of in the coming days.
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The Union wrap up their preseason camp in Spain with a scrimmage against Danish club AGF at 9 a.m. Sunday. They’ll fly home Monday, spend a few days in Chester, then head to Clearwater, Fla., for another stretch in warm weather. As of now, the only scrimmage they have scheduled there is Feb. 7 against FC Cincinnati.
The Union’s reserve squad will join the first team in Clearwater, with scrimmages set against the USL Championship’s Rhode Island FC on Feb. 4 and Tampa Bay Rowdies on Feb. 8, then the University of South Florida on Feb. 14.
The MLS season starts on Feb. 22 with the Union visiting Orlando City. Their home opener is March 1 vs. Cincinnati.
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