I had originally planned to write about a variety of things this morning, such as Bruce Arena's transformation of the Galaxy from a team that was all offense and no defense into a team that has neither offense nor defense. However, I've gotten so many e-mails in my inbox lately about a certain misfiring striker and my thoughts on him, that I decided to write solely on the enigma otherwise known as Eddie Johnson.
Readers of my blog know I've been critical of Johnson as of late and of his continued selection for the U.S. national team. Defenders of Johnson point to the fact he was picked up by a Premiership team earlier this year and is still learning his trade -- at age 24, the argument is he still has years of development left. I beg to differ. While 24 in an American sport such as the NFL or the NBA is a young player with plenty of upside, in soccer terms around the world it's considered near veteran status. Not many players show dramatic improvement from that age onward -- even more so in the case of forwards. There have been very few strikers that have matured into quality goal scorers in their late 20's -- the only recent notable exception being Italy's Luca Toni.
Forget the spin by Fulham management, the reality is Johnson has struggled mightily in England. Even at the lower-tier level of the English Championship, where's he currently on loan at Cardiff, he's been unable to make a meaningful contribution, let alone start. He's not exactly endeared himself to Cardiff fans or media either, with his early performances among the most vilified in recent memory. Here's a more "gentle" snippet of one such recent review by Steve Tucker of the South Wales Echo:
"Up to now I have been holding off from mentioning the guy, but who on earth is Eddie Johnson and what on earth is he doing wearing the famous blue shirt in a South Wales derby?" said Tucker. "Pathetic is hardly an adequate way to describe his first-half showing against the Swans. This guy may be able to score goals for America against the likes of Honduras and El Salvador, but in my book he is nowhere near good enough for the Championship."
On a team whose strikers are considered poor (and recently went almost seven games without scoring from open play), Johnson has failed to impress or garner meaningful playing time. In his most recent appearance for Cardiff (a 2-1 loss Saturday against Birmingham) he was rather generously credited with an assist for what was by all accounts a simple pass to strike partner Ross McCormack, who then cut inside a Birmingham defender and drilled it home. It wasn't anything to be impressed with, but sadly it's the only thing Johnson has done of note since he's been with Cardiff.
At least Johnson is aware of his failings and, to his credit, has said he'll try and improve. "It has taken me a while to get [used] to the British game," said Johnson in a recent interview with Chris Wathan. "I thought my pace would cause a factor but I struggled and it took me longer than I thought to gel with the team. It's the real deal here."
The decline in Johnson's game has long puzzled observers. When Johnson first burst onto the scene in 2004, it looked like he was potentially the solution to the U.S.' long-standing problem at forward. Granted, his goals were against CONCACAF minnows, but he displayed speed, power and, most importantly, a seeming ability to finish. The only question was whether he could translate it to higher-level competition. I remember a conversation I had with Argentina's goal-scoring legend Mario Kempes at the time, who stated in no uncertain terms that Johnson was the first American player he'd ever been really impressed with.
Of course, it's all gone south since. Ever since a serious foot injury in early 2005, Johnson hasn't been the same player. Between that injury and the possible residual effects, whispers of a suspect character, and what appears to be confidence issues on the field, he's been a huge disappointment for all concerned.
The issue is whether his flaws are really fixable. Johnson has been in England for close to nine months -- surely enough time to adjust to the "pace" of the English game. Is Johnson a player who has been coasting on his natural ability and hit snooze mode the last few years once he received the big payday? Or has he actually been a player of limited ability and instincts all along, who prospered briefly due to world-class physical traits? You could argue he's basically the equivalent of a star college wide receiver who can't cut it in the NFL because of poor hands, e.g. U.S. Soccer's answer to Troy Williamson.
Given his recent form, I really can't understand the logic as to why Bob Bradley continues to select Johnson for the national team. As long as he keeps calling up Johnson, the window for giving other players such as Jozy Altidore, Charlie Davies, Kenny Cooper and Edson Buddle chances continues to narrow. While 2010 still seems a long way off, the U.S. needs to find its answer at striker sooner as opposed to later.
Jen Chang
