Top Stories

Johnson looking to bounce back after long hiatus

EddieJohnsonFulham (ISIPhotos.com)

photo by ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

BRADENTON, Fla. — As the U.S. Under-23 men's national team played an intra-squad scrimmage on Thursday afternoon, Eddie Johnson sat in the stands at IMG Soccer Academy making observations, smiling and cracking jokes with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati and Montreal Impact head coach Jesse Marsch.

Johnson was in a good mood, and for good reason.

It was only a few hours earlier that Mexican club Puebla announced the signing of Johnson, a move which officially ended his extended time as a free agent, an eight-month spell of inactivity.

Johnson, 27, last played in a competitive match in late April for Preston North End, and while three quarters of a year seems like a long time to go without playing soccer, Johnson was not frustrated.

At least not in the beginning.

"I came home in the off-season as a free agent. The day as I actually was flying, my cousin passed away who was really close to me, my younger cousin," said Johnson. "Considering how close we were, mentally it was a hard time for me and my family as well.

"It took me time to heal and get over that, and about three months after my cousin passed away that's when I started missing soccer again. It was one of those situations where I knew I had to do what was best for me and my family."

Johnson began to explore his options. He wanted regular playing time and thought of returning to MLS. After negotiating with MLS, Johnson verbally agreed to a deal with the league in mid-August. MLS executive Vice President Todd Durbin made it public shortly thereafter, but before Johnson could make it official, the World Cup veteran had second thoughts and backed out of the deal.

"I think every individual, every person has their own self goals, and one of my goals was as clear as it can be: Find a club where I know I'm going to play at a decent level where I was going to still be able to get to where I want as a professional soccer player," said Johnson. "You go back to square one, you go back to a league where you understand it, you know it's changed a lot, you know it's a lot better than when I was coming through and you know a lot of familiar faces. You know about the league.

"Then at the last minute, I decided, 'You know what, I'm still 27 years old, there's a lot more soccer in me. I still want to prove this to myself that I can make it abroad'," Johnson said. "It's one of those things where I backed out at the last minute. My mind at that time was 'Yeah I'm going to come back, get games and play so I can get myself back scoring goals and to the national team.'"

Having stayed in shape by training at IMG in Bradenton for the last month, Johnson will get his chance to rebound with a Puebla side that finished 12th in the table in Mexico's Apertura campaign. He will be coached by a man who is no stranger to American players in former Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio.

Osorio signed with Puebla in November, but Johnson doesn't think his move to Mexico boils down to just his new coach. Instead, Johnson believes the deal is a result of a compatriot opening the door for him, and other Americans, with his stellar play this past season.

"DaMarcus Beasley has been there and he's done well," said Johnson. "So I think it's one of those situations where an American player has gone over to a league and done well, so it gives them that much confidence in bringing other American players over.

"Given my situation, and my experience playing in MLS and going over in Europe, I think it was a situation where it was something where I wasn't going to cost the club any money. I guess I was the type of striker that they were looking for, that fits the system that they're looking to play."

Johnson also thinks that his experience playing for Greek side Aris Thessaloniki will pay dividends as he transitions to the style of play in Mexico. Johnson says the number of Latino players plying their trade in Greece makes the league there similar to Mexico, with more of the teams emphasizing technical ability and quick passes.

Johnson is hoping that his familiarity with the style of play leads to a strong showing with Puebla, which in turn leads to his return to the U.S. national team. 

"I've got many friends that are still in the national team, young and middle-aged. I think I fall in that middle-age category (at) 27," said Johnson with a laugh before his tone turned more serious. "But I miss it. Whenever you've played for your country in a World Cup, and I was a little unlucky in making the last World Cup, I was in the mix but didn't make the final roster, but whenever you play for your country and you represent your country, and you know what that means and feels like when you put on the U.S. jersey, I miss that."

The last time Johnson played for the U.S. team was in October 2010 in a friendly against Colombia. Much has changed for the United States since then, including the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as the team's head coach.

Johnson admits he doesn't watch national team games nowadays. His rationale being that he is young enough to get back into the picture. He does, however, have an admiration for Klinsmann and admits to watching a lot of his highlights as a player.

"We've got the type of coach that the (United States) has never had," said Johnson. "That can add that American mentality with the playing philosophy that Jurgen Klinsmann grew up knowing as a soccer player."

With Puebla's pre-season for the Clausura campaign about to begin, Johnson is scheduled to depart to Mexico on Monday. It will be the latest adventure for a player who is in search of his goal-scoring touch, the same goal-scoring touch that earned him so much recognition early on in his career.

"I got the hunger again and I'm just as fast and stronger and as good of a player as I've ever been," Johnson said. "Now I think this opportunity that has come up has been a great opportunity for me and I'm going to make the most of it."

Johnson's long wait for a new club is over. All that is left for him to do now is deliver.

Comments

  1. EJ was never a physical attacker. Isn’t good at heading the ball. Can’t trap the ball well back-to-goal. And his speed is good but not blazing.

    In short, he was a very bad fit for England–and especially the Championship–before he ever got there.

    The Mexican League really is a greenhouse where certain types of players thrive, so maybe facing goal vs. slower, smaller defenders is what he needs. We’ll just see how quick and intelligent his passing and movement are–that’s what will make or break him at Puebla.

    Reply
  2. Your idea of what consititutes dedication is not necessarily applicable to everyone. It is the way you imagine, it not necessarily the way everyone else applies it.

    Whether he watches USMNT games on TV is is very trivial when you consider what his problems are.

    First and foremost his dedication should have been focused on securing what he has never had, a stable club situation.

    None of us really know what actually goes on behind the scenes with him. Now that he is older and hopefully wiser, maybe he has learned how to use what he has to better effect.

    EJ’s biggest problem is a lack of talent, skill, whatever you call it, allied with a narrow perspective and limited self awareness.

    His future success will be determined by how wisely he uses what he has ( speed, power, size).

    Reply
  3. well… the alternate less negative way to interpret that statement is that he actually does have some competitive fire and striker’s ego left in the tank. If true, that is a good thing that he cant stomach watching green youngins or less talented journeymen getting international shine that could and perhaps should be his. EJ should be sickened watching Jozy go unchallenged and raw kids like Bunbury and Agudelo leapfrogging him. If EJ was on his job, those kids would be happy starring at the U-23 level.

    Reply
  4. Count me as an EJ supporter who realized early on that he had some maturity issues and some big holes in his game preventing him from fulfilling the early ( hype.

    He wasn’t ready for the EPL clearly but at Cardiff he clearly learned what real pressure and professional discipline really meant. IMO, he showed very well at Aris; Adu too. Now, as long as he’s fit and got his head straight, the table is set for EJ to beast in Mexico with a familiar coach and Run DMB feeding him from the wing. Not predicting a National Team return but I’d be shocked if he didn’t turn heads at Puebla

    Reply
  5. That’s not an assumption, that’s an inference. You’re free to disagree.

    In response to your points above:

    If it’s just a job for him, that’s fine. I infer from his comments that he has some vague desire for it to be more than a paycheck; if he still harbors national team aspirations, one would assume that he on some level wants to be among the best at what he does. If you’re really trying to reach the top, when talent alone isn’t enough, it is my view (you’re free to disagree, I don’t really care) that you have to possess the ultimate level of dedication. You have to be focused entirely on your goal. To want to be recognized as one of the best but not to put in the time to assess your competition to see where you’re falling short to me reflects a lack of dedication. “It hurts to watch” is just an excuse (if it is the case; this is pure speculation). You have to get over such hurts if you want to reach the top. (I’d be more sympathetic to the idea of “it hurts too much” if we were talking about a particular big competition he missed out on, like not watching our World Cup games because he was so upset about just missing out. It’s hard to buy “it hurts too much” as an excuse for not watching any games at all, including less important ones, particularly when you haven’t been a part of the team in a while.)

    Of course, I have no issues with someone who doesn’t want to put in that level of dedication. Everyone is free to make that level of sacrifice which he deems appropriate. But to me it rings hollow to say you miss being part of a national team while not bothering to watch said team. I don’t think I’m making any unfair assumptions here, with the possible exception of assuming Eddie really means it when he says he thinks he can get back to the nats.

    Also, his stated rationale for not watching doesn’t make any sense to me.

    Reply
  6. Good luck to EJ. It is always tough to break in with a new team. Even established stars like Torres and Teves have found it difficult to fit in to new teams and prosper.

    Reply
  7. That is not a good comparison.

    Clint is a very different player. He is also much more talented and skilled.

    Jozy would be a better comparison. If EJ could have stayed with Aris (my understanding is he was too costly for them) it might have done for him what AZ is now doing for Jozy, given him a stable situation and a stable role to play on the field.

    Reply
  8. “I find it troubling that someone who wants to be on the national team doesn’t even watch its games. How hungry can you really be if you’re not even watching? ”

    You’re assuming that him not watching is indicative of a lack of hunger. That is a negative assumption.

    Reply
  9. lol at first comment implying that white ppl only have one cousin… and by the way, I eat pieces of sheet like you for breakfast

    Reply
  10. Clint Dempsey is what Eddie Johnson could have been with a different attitude. They are of similar age and career trajectory until they reached Fulham. Dempsey appeared to dig deep during adversity there while EJ kind of wilted. I wish him the best but 27 in soccer years is not young. Especially when you haven’t been doing anything for 9 months.

    Reply
  11. You are making an awful lot of assumptions about why EJ doesn’t admit to watching these games.. Mostly negative assumptions.

    It could be as simple as what one pro keeper I once met told me. Basically “I like to play not watch.”

    I don’t know what you do for a living but don’t forget that for a pro like EJ it is also a job. So maybe he likes to get away.

    Or maybe it hurts to watch because he isn’t there.

    You just don’t know and I don’t understand why you have to assume the worst about EJ.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to OccupyUranus Cancel reply