Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS A team could trade up for him as well. Would move them to first while freeing up cap space to fit him in.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS I like how people are still crying about LA having "4" dps. According to JPA in an interview yesterday, he is with Chivas. The team hasn't announced it yet for some weird reason.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Someone earlier in the thread asked if Canadian players have to go through the same process EJ and other Americans abroad do. Anyway, my money is on Toronto or Chicago to sign him.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS ....maybe, certainly not guaranteed. He can, but this is Eddie Johnson. His last year in MLS, where he was on fire, unlike his previous years, teams played him so naively it was pathetic. It was like an NFL team saying go long every match to a speedy receiver, and the D still played him bump and run without any safety support. It was quite sad and a terrible indictment of MLS coaching, more than EJ's ability IMO. When coaches finally played him properly his last several matches were less than stellar. I think EJ can help in MLS, but if I am a GM, I better understand what he is and get him for the right price. Eddie falls into the Benny F category for me. Let's not assume and make him out to be what he isn't. MLS is better organized, coached, is technically better and the players smarter than when EJ was here. I don't doubt he has improved a bit, but so has the league. Here is a guy supposedly in his prime who was barely an afterthought in Europe. Enough said.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Well, you are correct that he is not bound by the transfer window (FIFA rule). However MLS freezes the roster for the year on September 15 - to coincide with the end of the transfer window. So based on the reading of the rules (which we know are not complete as published) they could not add him this year anyway - unless he was already signed. There are five references to the roster freeze date applying at 5pm ET on the 15th of September. http://www.mlssoccer.com/2011-mls-roster-rules
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS People also seem to forget that the year EJ was "on fire," 2007, it was with a series of hat-tricks for KC/the USMNT. So his goal scoring number for that year looks attractive, but he was still rather inconsistently "on fire" that year, too. Not to undermine what he accomplished by any means. But I think the Bigsoccer community just fell a little too head-over-heels for him at the time.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Sounders can't afford Hahnemann this year. I believe the plan is to trade Montreal, or another team for their allocation spot in the off-season. Philly and Seattle were both in the running for JPA, with Philly being closest. If Chivas passes on JPA, I'm sure one of them would step up and take him.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Transfer window ends on August 15, now September 15. Teams have a month after the summer transfer window closes to run around get deals done with MLS teams.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS You sir are correct. I am so confused by my new baby coming I forgot what month we were in!
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Curiousity question: If Eddie Johnson were somehow passed up until Sporting Kansas City were asked, would they take him back?
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Yes, the international transfer window is irrelevant BUT he would be a returning USMNT player, which, based on my understanding (which I will be the first to say is extremely weak) of MLS rules, that means he will sign with the league and then go through the allocation order just like Eddie Johnson. Seattle would not be able to simply sign Hahnemann - they'll have to play this, in my mind, complicated game. So, based on my (likely faulty) understanding, were Seattle to take Eddie Johnson in the allocation process, they would go to the bottom of the list making it all that much harder to get Hahnemann. I have no doubt someone will set me straight (well, at least in this matter) Edit: ok, I ignored the aspect that each year the allocation list is reconfigured based on reverse order of finish the previous year. So, if Seattle were wanting MH, they would likely encourage him to wait to sign with the league toward the end of this season (but not after the season ends), so that their chances on him would be higher - assuming they have moved up the allocation list.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Still.........the fact remains that at the start of the 2007 season Eddie Johnson had 12 goals & 3 assists in the first 11 games. Half of those goals were indeed back-to-back hat-tricks against NE and NY. [When it comes to Eddie Johnson, people will find a way to criticize back-to-back hat tricks.] He only scored 3 goals the rest of the season. Still that was 15 goals that year before he left for the UK. For the right price, there are a lot of MLS teams that would take a chance of Eddie Johnson. But it's the price that's the issue. If he dropped all the way to FCD in the allocation process (& they do still need help at forward) I'd think it would be worth the risk. But not for a whole lot of money. I also personally think MLS is a different league now than it was in 2007. In 2008 Kenny Cooper scored 18 goals in 30 games................doesn't mean much today.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS He's simply useless but as they, he deserves a third chance. Welcome home Eddie.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS I can't imagine they would. I mean, they already have a "marquee" forward in Bravo and an in-his-prime veteran in Kamara PLUS two young, inconsistent speedsters in Sapong and Bunbury AND a potential sleeper in Saad. The last thing they would seem to need is another forward, particularly one with EJ's attributes. And baggage.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS I believe TFC already has 3 DPs, correct? De Guzman, Frings, and Koevermans? I only Wiki-ed, so here's what I got: 1) LA = 3. Beckham, Donovan, Keane. 2) NY = 3. Henry, Marquez, Rost. 3) TFC = 3. De Guzman, Frings, Koevermans ------------------------- 4) SEA = 2. Fernandez, Montero 5) SKC = 2. Omar Bravo, Jeferson. 6) FCD = 2. Ferreira, fabian Castillo. 7) VAN = 2. Hassli, Jarju. -------------------- 8) CHV = 1. Angel 9) DC = 1. Boskovic. 10) RSL = 1. Saborio. 11) Crew = 1. Mendoza. 12) Portland = 1. Chara. 13) NE = 1. Caraglio. =================== None: Philly (Adu?), Colorado, Houston, San Jose, Chicago.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Very doubtful. If there is one thing we do not need it is another forward. I think we would only take him if we were able to use him as trade bait.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS I don't think it's a criticism of the hat-tricks as much as it is a criticism of people who throw out the things like, say, "Eddie Johnson had 12 goals & 3 assists in the first 11 games." On the surface, it sounds unbelievably good, and one's mind wants to say: well hey, that's better than a goal a game. With the nuance of context, and knowing that it was accomplished with hat-tricks, you realize that he isn't a superhuman, he just got on a really hot streak for about a month, and then cooled back down to a more normal rate for a striker. In any event, it's not a criticism of what he did as much as it is a criticism of people who jump to a over-positive conclusion about his quality about a stellar, but short, run. He was a good MLS forward when he was here, inconsistent, occasionally lacking in workrate, but could get scalding hot.
Re: Eddie Johnson to MLS Correct, but I don't know why you assume Johnson would be a designated player. It's possible, but if Freddy Adu's contract can be bought down below a DP level with Philly for this year, and he's 5 years younger than Johnson with a lot more upside, I personally would guess Johnson falls below that line slightly.