Top Stories

Report: Johannsson linked with move to Sounders

Aron Johannsson is reportedly being linked to Major League Soccer, as his contract with Bundesliga side Werder Bremen is running out.

According to German outlet Deich Stube, Johannsson has been linked with the Seattle Sounders. Johannsson’s arrival would be a needed acquisition for the Sounders, who lost forward Will Bruin for the remainder of the 2019 MLS season with a knee injury.

The club is also without strikers Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz who are both on international duty with the U.S.A. and Peru respectively.

Johannsson, 28, joined Werder Bremen from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in 2015. Injuries have plagued Johannsson’s career as the forward has only made 28 appearances for Bremen in four years. He’s scored five goals and registered one assist in that time.

He’s also spent time with Danish outfit AGF Aarhus and Icelandic side Fjolnir. His best spell domestically came in 2013-14 with Alkmaar, where he scored 17 goals in 11 appearances.

Johannsson has also won 19 caps with the USMNT, scoring four goals and appearing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The Seattle Sounders return to MLS play on Saturday against Cascadia rivals Vancouver Whitecaps.

 

 

Comments

  1. Sounders’ fan. Not a fan of this signing, but they need a back up to Rui and Bruin is getting old and isn’t as good….so I guess it is AJ ?

    Reply
  2. For a player that has always had leg injuries, i don’t get why he would want to play for a team that has turf as it main playing surface.

    Reply
    • Hard to believe, but they train on grass before playing on a turf field. Wonder why if the turf experts say that there is no additional impact on the body vs grass. BS. Just ask any professional player if they can play/train on turf every day. I’m 100% sure those experts are not playing/training on it everyday.

      Reply
  3. I don’t think he will have a lot to do base on the standards of MLS and the USMNT. You don’t have to be a consistent goal scorer or the highest scoring American for the season or the best at what you do (which is scoring goals or assisting) to be considered the best USMNT striker in the pool (I guest all you have to do is look the part ?). Let’s look at player X who is considered the best striker option of the USMNT:
    GP – games played
    GS – games started
    MP – minutes played

    2019…..and counting
    Player……………..GP….GS ….MP ….goals…..assists
    Player X……..…….9…….6……616…….7…………1
    Bested by Chris Wondolowski, CJ Sapong, Gyasi Zardes,

    2018
    Player……………..GP….GS ….MP ….goals…..assists
    Player X……..……13….12……877…….5…………3
    Bested by Gyasi Zardes, Dom Dwyer, Teal Bunbury, Chris Wondolowski, Fafa Picault, Christian Ramirez, Miguel Ibarra, Will Bruin

    2017
    Player……………..GP….GS ….MP ….goals…..assists
    Player X……..…….27..25…..2194…….15……6
    Bested by CJ Sapong

    2016
    Player……………..GP….GS ….MP ….goals…..assists
    Player X………….23…..16…1487…….10……..…5
    Bested by Chris Pontius, Jordan Morris and Chris Wondolowski

    2015 – bested by Chris Wondolowski

    So lesson of the day….you can be a jogger, run around, look busy and make a whole bunch of back passes (increases completion percentage)….. or be a player selected for your “Hold up” play, be second best to a player like Chris Wondolowski (who is about to retire), never ever achieved the mantle of the “highest scoring American in a season since setting foot in MLS…… and still be considered the best in your position for even the USMNT ?. So, hit the weight room and risk injury or jog a lot and just try to complete most of your passes (lateral or back)….and he will be fine ?.

    Reply
    • I see you didn’t include Champions League or Playoff goals since Player X has twice as many of those as Wondo.

      Reply
    • Bro the first paragraph where you said you dont have to do much just look busy. Thats what drives me crazy about Roldan he is one of those dont do much but pretends to be busy.

      Reply
    • The USMNT all-time top 10 (11 three way tie for 9th) 10 played in MLS and only one ever led Americans in MLS in scoring LD in 2008. Dempsey, McBride, Wynalda, Max-Moore, E. Johnson,Stewart, Beasley, Bradley also never led MLS Americans in scoring. Oddly, 2008 was one of LD’s lowest scoring years for the NT. It’s a stat that hasn’t translated to NT success for the 23 years of the league. Just glancing at the leading German in the Bundesliga, and leading Mexican in LigaMx it doesn’t seem to have much correlation in other countries either.

      Reply
      • LD was racking up goals as well as assists for club and country. player X can’t score like a DP and damn well can’t assist like a DP. when you bench player x all of a sudden other players (and the team) actually get to score goals….even subconsciously, like Gyazi Zardes for instance (how many goals has he scored already in just this Gold Cup????)?. Chris Wondolowski has dominated player X in terms of goals in MLS, and that’s only counting the time they have been in the league together at the same time….playing with a less talented group of players around him, in the same league, against the same opponents….like what? four out of 5 years he has bested player X??? Of all the top striker in MLS which one of our USMNT strikers are on the MLS ALL-STAR TEAM? Hmmmmm ?. Keep Wondolowski on the field game after game, for 112+ games straight and I bet you he scores more than 41 goals, like if you leave Wondo on the field in MLS on a team that believes in him and plays him day in day out, for over 300+ appearances, he will break the MLS ALL TIME SCORING RECORD…..oh wait a minute HE JUST DID THAT ??

      • Your argument was you don’t have to score in MLS to be a good American striker. I completely agreed and gave you proof it doesn’t matter. Even among Jozy haters I’m not sure you’ll find too many people that are going to buy your argument that Wondo is better than Jozy.

      • I gotta correct one thing Wondo led MLS in scoring outright in 2010 and 2012 and was the leading MLS US goal-scorer 4(5) times. (2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and now in 2019). USMNT coaches rarely gave him more than 45 minutes, for the kind of player he is that is not enough to do what he does to tire defenders and get them to disregard him. Still presently, while he is on a hot season with 2 goals per game played, I do not think he would be a better choice than either Zardes or Jozy

        As for Johannsson, he has been injured so much in the last few years, you have to wonder if he will be available to be worth the investment.

    • Ah yes… nice to see a well-stated American version of the old “Andy Cole” argument that used to pop up on English soccer sites back in the day. Sometimes known as the “Roy Lassiter” argument in Yank circles back then. Poor Wondo may never get the credit he deserves, but it’s never going to be a good analogy to compare him to Jozy. Two very different careers.

      Reply
  4. I liked his play when he first came on board with the MNT but haven’t seen him since. I wish him well except on July 14th.

    Reply
  5. He’ll be one of the top five or ten strikers in MLS…if he can stay healthy. But Seattle’s in a spot where they have other strikers and won’t have to rely wholly on him.

    Very underrated guy, and I was always a fan of his. Wouldn’t shock me utterly if he worked his way back into USMNT consideration because he can play the wing or up top and he’s technical, smart, and a clinical finisher.

    Reply
    • 34 appearances in the last four seasons, including just three this season 120 in the 4th division and a 3 minute thanks appearance. This feels more Diskerud than Dempsey to me but I hope you’re right.

      Reply
    • He’s very slight and injury prone. I wouldn’t bet the house on your prediction. MLS can be very physical and it remains to be seen if AJ will be up to the task. He has the skill, so it remains to be seen.

      Reply
    • Yeah gotta agree with the others here. I liked AJ a lot when I saw him perform for the USMNT. Intelligent, versatile, and a great striker of the ball. But Jesus, that was a full FIVE YEARS AGO. An eternity in soccer. I sure hope he gets back to his best (heck, even 60% of his best would make him a credible MLS player), but it’s a gamble to assume anything about a guy who has been injured for 18 months, let alone 4-5 years. Probably makes sense for Seattle to take a risk (I assume they aren’t spending a DP spot just yet), but I’d set the expectations low… meaning, can he play 30 mins a game 5 times in a row?

      Reply
    • Top 5 strikers in MLS!?!?! I gotta see that list. If you included Morris as a striker, I wouldn’t, but he would be 3rd best on the team.

      Reply
  6. He’ll be one of the top five or ten strikers in MLS…if he can stay healthy. But Seattle’s in a spot where they have other strikers and won’t have to rely wholly on him.

    Very underrated guy, and I was always a fan of his. Wouldn’t shock me utterly if he worked his way back into USMNT consideration because he can play the wing or up top and he’s technical, smart, and a clinical finisher.

    Reply

Leave a Comment