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Johannsson on target for 20th goal of season

Aron Johannsson AZ Alkmaar (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

The goal-scoring record Jozy Altidore set last season is looking more and more attainable for Aron Johannsson.

Johannsson scored in a second consecutive match on Tuesday, netting an insurance goal in AZ Alkmaar’s 2-0 KNVB Cup victory over Roda JC to lift his season total across all competitions to 20. Johannsson is now only 11 goals shy of tying the record Altidore set just last season (also with AZ) for goals scored by an American in a foreign league, and there are still more than four months left in the European season.

Johannsson found the back of the net in the second half of the quarterfinals tilt by neatly controlling a headed pass with the inside of his thigh. The U.S. Men’s National Team forward then proceeded to slot a low shot past Roda goalkeeper Filip Kurto for the game’s final goal.

AZ is looking to repeat as KNVB Cup champions. They won the tournament last year in large part because of Altidore’s scoring exploits.

The semifinals of the competition won’t be played until April. AZ’s opponent is to be determined.

Here is the goal:


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What do you think of Johannsson’s goal? Think he breaks Altidore’s record this season? Think Alkmaar will win the KNVB Cup again?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Why does every success by an American (I use the term liberally) turn into ridicule in this league? Just because it is an attack oriented league, very much like La Liga, make it discounted? That just means one has to perform BETTER in attack and finish to warrant constant minutes. I am a dedicated USMNT fan, and have trouble being honest against my allegiances and love for US-oriented players, but trust me, AJ will make most of our headlines, coupled with either CD or LD or JA or, on games we trail, with Mix, to make or create most of our goals in Brazil and at least give us a chance to escape the group. The kid is dialed in, clinical in finish, and has nothing to lose. Remember that he is thinking “I ditched Iceland and it paid off” and being so young and having so much to gain, he WILL help us. USMNT fans, let’s allow this guy to take us for a ride.. It’s all our other vets who know it’s the end of the line that will defer to this kid to give it a go. At least that’s my humble, probably way off opinion….

    He stays there to finish the season and perform well

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  2. face it, we don’t have any consistent goal scorers in the top 5 leagues

    Wynalda in the 90’s. Max Moore was consistent but he scored in 2nd Bundesliga. McBride was a consistent scorer for Fulham but they were relegation fodder. Dempsey scored a bunch for Fulham but all it did was get him to SPURs for only (9 million dollars)

    Mathis scored a bit when he got to Germany but his ego got him into trouble. 5 goals in 17 matches for Hannover. Charlie Davies had a promising start in FRANCE but we all know that story. The year before he was a hit in SWEDEN but that’s a 3rd tier league.

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    • Bedoya may get there soon. He’s playing well for Nantes.

      PS. What’s the cutoff for “consistent”? at least once every 4 games? every 5?

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      • 1/3 is decent and consistent.

        1/4 is garbage but okay for a relegation type team.

        1/5 is enough to get u dropped to the 2nd division

      • Wow, tough scale: only the top ~20 scorers in the BPL or Serie A are above the “garbage” level. In La Liga it’s maybe the top 30 scorers.

  3. Ironically, Jozy had a similar opportunity for a nodded down header as he made a good run into the box. However, his teammate headed it straight to the GK. Jozy never had a chance to get to it, and the announcer said “they might want to bring Fletcher on at the half”. What? Because Seb Larrson can’t head the ball? Yes, Jozy’s had far from a great season but the announcers act like 3 goal Fletcher is a scoring machine. Crazy….

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    • oddly enough Andy Johnson (nominee for club worst player of the year) scored more in the past 2 games than every striker at the club combined.

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      • Adam Johnson came to Sunderland from Manchester City for 10 million pounds. He has 11 caps and 2 goals for England. Going back to the 2009-10 season, he has a combined total of 161 games and 27 goals for Manchester City and Sunderland

        He has looked bad for Sunderland but the man is a very good player.

        Sunderland has been disorganized and has played poorly.

        However,that does not mean they do not have a number of very talented players on their roster.

  4. Good for him. But dont go overboard on this. He is third in the league and Jozy was 4th. There are four or five 20-30 goal scorers in the Dutch League every year. Many go on to bigger things many do not.

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    • only a few. SUAREZ was the last world class striker to come from Eredivisie and it took him like 2 seasons before he could go world-class in the EPL

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    • +1

      It’s like there are other options besides A vs. B and, judging from most of these responses, this is a revolutionary concept. All the people talking about Jozy being a big, hold-up forward kind of baffle me because there were so many people saying he would never be a big, hold-up forward when Klinnsman started putting him up top alone. Or people saying Johannsson could be a better hold-up forward because he’s good when running onto a ball. I’m so baffled. Did we all get drunk early today?

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    • neither would I but by having these two together it means it may be at the cost of either having Dempsey playing out of position or on the bench.

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  5. we need Jozy starting for us in Brazil. He knows this squad. He has the international experiences. Has nearly 70 caps in the past 6 years.He is going to score 4 goals and get us to the quarter-finals. Mark it mortals

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  6. He doesn’t make a lot of chances for himself but his work rate, technical skill, and football IQ seem to all exist in abundance. If he landed with a great team he would fit right in against any level of competition.

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    • I expect Johannsson to get minutes in Brazil….but I think most of them will be off the bench. I think Jozy starts against Ghana & Germany….with maybe Johannsson getting the start against Portugal.
      There are 2 types of US strikers….Target & Withdrawn (2nd striker).
      Target: Jozy, Boyd, EJ, (Agudelo)
      Withdrawn: Dempsey, Donovan, AJ, Gomez, Agudelo, Wando
      JK will likely take 2 of each type (maybe a 3rd withdrawn), but since Donovan can be deployed out wide as well….that leaves Jozy, Dempsey, and AJ as the leading candidates with the others fighting it out for the 4th & possibly 5th striker slot.

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      • This is not Clint hate at all, but at the moment there’s no doubt AJ is more in form. If the World Cup started tomorrow and I were coaching I’d start Jozy and Aron together and bring Clint off the bench as a late game impact sub (if the situation called for it)

  7. using Jozy’s AZ form from last year as a proxy, AJ is destined to join a bottom of the barrel EPL team and be h@ted upon constantly by that team’s fans on twitter…

    (waiting for Jozy haters to claim that AJ’s AZ goalscoring form count for more than Jozy’s last year)

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    • It’s not about form–although I think he is scoring at a higher rate than Jozy did–it’s about the manner in which they play and score, and how that will translate to a faster, quicker, and more competitive game.

      Jozy has never been known for his technical prowess or quick-on-the-ball style. He’s a bruising hold up forward.

      Johannsson is quite the opposite. He’s smaller, much more agile and has an impressive burst of speed for separation on top of better touch. His soccer IQ is certainly higher.

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      • I think he fits the mold of what Klinsmann wants more than Jozy.

        Johannsson appears more comfortable interplaying beyond a flick on or header. He likes receiving the ball and looking for options quick on the break.

      • I think that’s pretty harsh on Jozy, I mean did you see the combination he had with Ki against Fulham? I don’t think we should hold it against Jozy just because all Sunderland can do is lump it forward to him.
        I think Johannsson should get his chance, I just want to see him do it for the US first.

      • Exactly. People see Jozy’s muscles and think he just has to be a bruising, back-to-the-goal, target forward. He plays faster and more creatively when he has someone up top with him.

    • dunno, he could end in a decent team like Swansea or Aston Villa, AJ looks like he is going to be a decent striker but people should try to not hype his numbers in the Eredivisie

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  8. He seems to have the speed and technical ability to make a jump to a top flight league. I think his style of play would fit in very well with a midtable La Liga club.

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