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Impact use top spot in allocation order on Johnson, trade him to Seattle

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Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com

The Montreal Impact tried their hand at picking a forward and getting trade value in return once again.

After picking Brian Ching from Houston in the expansion draft only to deal him back to the Dynamo for a draft pick, the Impact used their place atop the MLS allocation order to select Eddie Johnson before promptly dealing him to the Seattle Sounders.

In return, the Impact received forward Mike Fucito and winger Lamar Neagle, while Johnson's latest attempt to resurrect his career will take place at CenturyLink Field as a complement to Fredy Montero. The last two players to have gone through the allocation process have both wound up in Seattle, as the Sounders traded up to snag Sammy Ochoa last August.

The Colorado Rapids had publicly expressed their interest in acquiring Johnson, but they sat in 14th in the allocation order, needing Johnson to be passed over by 13 teams if they were to select him. Seattle sat in 15th position but instead swung the trade to land the one-time U.S. national team striker.

Montreal, meanwhile, used its spot and moves to No. 19 for the next allocation order process in hopes that Fucito and Neagle, two attack-minded players who showed flashes of effectiveness in spurts last season and were extremely popular among Sounders fans, make the deal worthwhile.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are now in pole position in the allocation order, followed in order by the New England Revolution, Toronto FC, Chivas USA and San Jose Earthquakes. The entire order entering today's proceedings can be found here, with every team moving up a spot while Montreal goes to the back of the line.

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What do you think of Montreal using its allocation spot to pick Johnson? Do you see Johnson reclaiming success in MLS? Think Johnson and Montero can form an effective strike tandem? Which team got the better end of the deal?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. His skin color has nothing to do with it, so stop be such a liberal turd. What has he done in the last 5 years?….NOTHING is the answer. His poor attitude has been well noted for years and just recently he came into camp well over weight, which is disrespectful to any professional athlete or club to have to deal with. Manager’s don’t pass on you, unless you are just too much of a risk or that position is not needed. Montreal needed a striker bad, so clearly as like what every person on here is writing about…Eddie is worthless. Stop getting your information from ESPN Sports Center for your soccer updates.

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  2. If only performance could be based on what you did as a teenager and not as an adult 8 years later, I might be sleeping with a hottie tonight. Sports are cruel, you are only as good as your last game has a kernel of truth. Certainly the record of the past 4 years has more weight than the 6 year old MLS record, and is not wild speculation, but data and facts.

    I’m guessing Sounders front office felt they needed to keep up with Vancouver, Portland, and LA. They took a flyer on EJ, it may work, pass the dice.

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  3. Soccer America,
    “Released by Fulham last May after being loaned out several times, Johnson, 27, began training with Puebla on Friday.

    “He arrived under the condition that we would take a look at the player, as he hadn’t played for a long time,” Puebla spokesperson Hugo Fernandez said in a statement released to several media outlets. “He didn’t pass the test in three training sessions … and he’s not staying.”

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  4. i love how much people are undervaluing eddie and i beleive i can fairly say that no one here has seen him play in game for a few years so how can you make harsh judgements based on wild speculation…btw this is the same guy who tore up mls a few years back with kc

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  5. Leave it to Kejsare to troll as many sites as possible to make this post. It’s been, what, 3 years? This has played out; come up with some new taunts.

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  6. fischy,

    You’ve had to explain that you were being sarcastic about Findley twice on this thread.

    If you have to explain you are being snarky and sarcastic that much about the same topic, then either no one else is as cool and tuned in as you or sarcasm in general is a hit or miss proposition in this medium.

    It’s like calling people who don’t get your jokes stupid because they don’t get just how wonderfully smart, charming and funny you really are.

    It must be lonely to be at such a high intellectual level. That is just the price you pay though for breathing such rarefied air. It’s just tough that the world is missing out your snarky, insightful commentary.

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  7. Charles,

    Forgive me for being picky but the two terms are a little too close:

    A moron is a term for a person with a mental age between 8 and 12, and a common insult for a person considered stupid

    An idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way.

    What you really want to say is “Joe is either an idiot/moron or a genius”.

    Of course it’s clear he is an idiot/moron.

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  8. Well, the order resets every year, and there aren’t any big USMNT names anticipated to be coming back to MLS this summer. Maybe Bedoya or Bocanegra with Rangers entering administration (Edu’s as good as gone to France or elsewhere). Not that the other two wouldn’t stay in Europe, though.

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  9. Fair enough Andy, I’ve settled down since my initial shock at this deal. Spare the racist comment though, tasteless is the only G rated comment I can think of for that garbage. No matter how much you or anyone else try to spin his accomplishments since 2008 (I’m being nice with that estimate) with the “positive” locker room influence and the such. His track record is minimal to non existant and he ultimately ended up riding the pine for bottom feeder 2nd tier Preston North End. I’m gonna give the Sounders FO the benefit of the doubt that they see something in him that has been missing for many years now, and let it all unfold on the pitch when he dons the rave green. I wish the best for Naegle and Fucito in Montreal, where both of them will undoubtedly get more PT and hope Eddie Johnson pans out.

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  10. This was a really clever move. I expected them to either keep him or pass, wasn’t expecting to use him in this manner. citizens of the emerald City might grouse, but this has the potential to be a monster move. Only downside if the spotlight: I would have preferred to see EJ in a club where he could find his form, he will be expected to produce from day 1 in Seattle.

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  11. Played on the wing at Preston and did in fact score but they called it own goal… also had multiple assists… Started 10 straight games where Preston picked up their most points in that span all season…

    Most of the apps listed were last 5 minute subs apps so it is not like he was getting major runs in the teams… When he did at Aris and did very well..

    People also forget that he actually started a few prem games for Fulham just last season… he was just never good enough.

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  12. THIS IS THE STUPIDEST THING EVER POSTED ON HERE…

    Where in the world are you coming up with Eddie Johnson is a locker room cancer? Also where are you getting that he is lazy? Because he is black? Because the Puebla manager did not want him but the GM signed him anyway so the only way to save face was to say he was not fit (despite Eddie being at IMG the entire month prior working on fitness every day)…hmmmmm

    Eddie has been praised by every manager he played under in Europe as being a hard worker in training.. He had moderate success at Aris but was just not good enough for the top levels of Europe.. He was adequate to if not somewhat valuable to teams at his level…

    You people that spew this rehashed BS that he was is lazy or has a bad attitude is like the most idiotic game of telephone ever…

    Eddie can do just fine in MLS but because he was not Clint Dempsey at Fulham he must BLOW..

    Get a clue people… Not everyone is Clint… You all do the same thing to Robbie Findley as well… not everyone has to be the next coming to hold value to a football club…

    If someone would have offered to swap a Mike Fucito like player for Eddie back in 2007..not one person on here would spew this crap…

    Eddie certainly did not get any worse by training under managers in Europe…

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  13. I agree with Dax. I don’t think Eddie Johnson was worth trading FOR. However, as Dax pointed out, EJ for Fucito (a good player, yes) is a one-for-one swap while losing Neagle *IS* made up for with Zakuani’s return…which I’m VERY excited about even though I’m a RBNY fan. I love watching Zakuani play. Good for him.

    Reply

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