Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies made his debut for German club Bayern Munich on Sunday against Borussia Mönchengladbach in the finals of the Telekom Cup.
Davies, 18, started and played the full match, showing flashes of brilliance at times with his quickness and touch on the ball on the right side of the field.
He also nearly won a penalty for Bayern in the final minute of regulation, but the referee did not give it. Bayern went on to win the final 4-2 in a penalty shootout
The Telekom Cup is a one-day, friendly tournament involving four teams, with two semifinal games, a third-place match and the final. Games last only 45 minutes, and go straight to penalties in the event of a draw at the end of regulation time.
Davies did not play in Bayern’s win over host Fortuna Düsseldorf in Sunday’s semifinal.
On hiatus since Dec. 21, the Bundesliga resumes play this coming week, and Davies could make his German league debut on Friday when Bayern Munich visits Hoffenheim.
Bayern is currently in second place in the Bundesliga standings, six points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund.
[snippet id=4157899]
Davies made headlines last summer when he signed with German outfit Bayern Munich from the Vancouver Whitecaps as part of a transfer deal that could surpass $20 million when all is said and done. The Canadian teenager finished out the season with the Whitecaps before flying to Germany to train with Bayern.
Davies was born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his Liberian parents fled the country to avoid its civil war. When Davies was five, he and his family emigrated to Canada and eventually settled in Edmonton. It was there where Davies’ passion for soccer blossomed, playing in “Free Footie,” a league for disadvantaged kids, and later for local youth clubs. The Whitecaps eventually took notice of Davies and signed him to their youth residency program as a 14-year-old.
He turned out for the Whitecaps’ farm club in the lower-tier United Soccer League, and signed a pro contract with the senior team in 2016. At 15, Davies became the second-youngest player to play in MLS.
In 2017, after finally receiving his citizenship, Davies debuted for the national team in a friendly in Montreal, and then scored three goals at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, helping Canada reach the quarterfinals.
Davies was voted Canadian male player of the year for 2018.
[relatedlinks]
