Our Eddie has been selected for an MLS Star Xl v Chelsea. Along with Beckham, Donovan and Henry - http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2012/7/15/3161195/mls-all-star-team-roster-team-vs-chelsea By all accounts he's going great guns in his new life at the moment.
I’m sure the prospect of playing in the same team as Eddie Johnston makes up for the disappointment of missing out on the Olympics. I guess the fact that a striker with the ability of Eddie Johnston can make the All Star Team sums up the quality of the MLS.
Chelsea lost 3-2 to the MLS All Stars and guess who got the winning goal? -- Eddie Johnson http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/7933524/
I think this is excellent - well done Eddie! And maybe a good omen for the planning hearing tonight....?
Wouldn't it just be typical though if, through some fluke of nature, EJ has suddenly blossomed into the most lethal striker the world has ever known, gets transferred to La Liga where he scores 75 goals in a season for Barcelona and is subsequently declared World Footballer of The Year for the next decade. Sorry...Just slipped off into a parallel universe there for a second.
Seven years ago it was Fulham touring in the States. There were a couple of interesting names in the MLS All Stars squad lined up to play against us - MLS ALL-STAR ROSTER: GOALKEEPERS (2): Matt Reis (New England Revolution), Scott Garlick (FC Dallas) DEFENDERS (5): Greg Vanney (FC Dallas), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Chris Albright (Los Angeles Galaxy), Ivan Guerrero (Chicago Fire) MIDFIELDERS (7): Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution), Ronnie O'Brien (FC Dallas), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Christian Gomez (D.C. United), Simo Valakari (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (San Jose Earthquakes). FORWARDS (4): Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution), Jeff Cunningham (Colorado Rapids) INJURED (Will not play): Eddie Pope (Real Salt Lake), Amado Guevara (MetroStars), Eddie Johnson (FC Dallas).
Eddie Johnson is our Fernando Torres. He came with a great scoring record, but just didn't fit in once he got here. Once his confidence was gone, he was useless. He was never a bad player. He think he led the MLS in scoring one year, so he couldn't have been that bad. He's our Andy Carroll and I say good luck to him over there.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2018844081_kelley05.html?prmid=head_main Article on Eddie in the Seattle Times. How things have changed for him; "Johnson has an uncanny, Clint Dempsey-like knack for timing his runs, anticipating passes and getting behind defenses. And when the ball is on his foot, or in the air, he can turn passes into goals. "He has lovely feet," Hinton said. Johnson's runs are the places where art intersects with athleticism. "Because of his athleticism, sometimes he makes difficult goals look easy," Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer said. "But his running off the ball, his timing, his ability to connect with his teammates as the play is developing, are very, very good." In a league that has very few world-class finishers, Johnson might be the best. He's as dangerous as sheet lightning. The goal he scored in the last league match against Colorado, a header off a corner kick, skying more than a foot over the defender, was magical. Johnson was the prince of midair, and it was the type of dynamic goal that is rare in MLS. "It's all about repetition and training and getting on the same page with our outside guys," said Johnson, who has scored five times off assists from Rosales. "Me and Rosales have established some type of connection, a partnership. I'm getting an understanding of when he gets the ball, what position to put my body in." When he is going well, there is a healthy arrogance about Johnson and his game. He is an on-field irritant, talking trash the way Gary Payton used to talk it. He oozes confidence that can be off-putting to opponents."
Some lovely quotes in there silkship Ah, fair play to him and given his basic wage is $100k per annum plus incentives for goals scored, I hope they keep coming.
I always thought Eddie Johnson looked like a great player... before he got the ball. He had all the physical ability to be a top quality player, but his first touch was horrible and his footballing brain didn't run fast enough for the Premier League.
Surlyc, Johnson was not alone in having a " ... footballing brain didn't run fast enough for the Premier League". You could probably win the World Cup with players who were great elsewhere (not saying Johnson was great) but couldn't cut it in the EPL. On Chelsea alone, Mutu and Shevchencko come to mind. It's the pace of the EPL that catches players out, I think. I can't think of a league where players have less time on the ball.
