2015 New York Red Bulls Report Card: Sean Davis

In his rookie year Sean Davis put in solid workman like shifts for the Red Bulls. Davis signed a homegrown player contract after the end of the 2014 season in order to provide central midfield depth. With the central midfield trio of Dax McCarty, Felipe, and Sacha Kljestan starting almost every game, Davis' opportunities were always going to be limited.

While Davis did not have impressive defensive statistics, this was largely due to the presence of Dax McCarty, who did most of the defensive work in the midfield. Davis' potential is very high as evidenced by his two goals performance against Chelsea in an International Champions Cup match.

With the Red Bulls playing in three competitions next year (Major League Soccer, US Open Cup, and CONCACAF Champions League) look for Davis to receive more playing time. I would be surprised to see Dax McCarty, Felipe, and Sacha Kljestan all remain with the Red Bulls for the 2017 season, so look for Davis to have a good chance to claim a starting role in 2017.

Player Stats:

16 Appearances

4 Games Started

556 Minutes Played

1 Goal

1 Assist

Player Grade: B-

Things Well Done:

Davis did a good job handling the pressure when asked to step into arguably the best central midfield in MLS. He was very composed and did not seem to struggle with the steep learning curve MLS rookies often face. Davis was very efficient and accurate with his passing. He rarely turned the ball over.

Things Done Poorly:

If Davis hopes to claim a starting role he will need to score more goals, but more importantly he will have to create more goal scoring opportunities for his teammates. Davis rarely played the killer defense-splitting passes that you expect from a good central midfielder.