EJ won't make World Cup roster

[um_chili]

OK, to be fair the title of this thread is more to make an impression than to predict an outcome that actually will happen. However, I do want to question the settled conventional wisdom on these boards that Eddie Johnson is a lock to be on the 23-man World Cup roster.

About a year ago, I'd agree that if EJ performed anything like he did between October 2004 and March 2005, he'd merit a starting spot let along a roster spot. That's an easy call. But since then, he's suffered a series of nagging injuries (turf toe and then the more recent one in January training camp), and in his limited minutes has looked like a shadow of his former self.

Admittedly, after those injuries it would be hard to be game-fit, but at the same time the question is not whether EJ can be expected to perform well, but whether he is performing well, and he hasn't been a factor for the US in quite a while.

If last WC has taught us anything, it's that Bruce plays the hot hand and isn't afraid to buck conventional wisdom. Hence he sat Mathis for lack of fitness v. Portugal even though Clint had been by a wide margin our most effective striker for the first half of 2002.

Thus I really can't see Bruce bringing a player along in the hopeful expectation that he'll rekindle lost form, even if that form was as brilliant as EJ's was a year or so ago. In other words, I think at this stage, EJ doesn't have a spot on the roster, and will have to do something between now and the WC to prove that a space is merited.

This is, of course, premature. There are plenty of friendlies left in which EJ can show the kind of goal-scoring brilliance he did in previous games. However, until and unless he does that, I don't think he's earned a spot on the roster. Finally, I hope I'm wrong about this and that EJ lights up Guatemala for a hat-trick. I think this Sunday he'll get a start and that will tell us a lot about whether he'll be on the roster for Germany.

[flyerhawk]

Well EJ still has a few months to get into game form. Why assume he won't be ready when he has 3 months to get ready?

[SamsArmySam]

I stopped reading after I saw in the first sentence of the first post that you were using a bait and switch tack with your thread title.

Rico. Suave.

[ty webb]

If healthy, I think he is a lock to make the roster. IMHO

[Sandon Mibut]

Have you seen the options? Name four other forwards who have a legit shot to beat him out. (And Landon doesn't count as he is mainely a MF for the US.)

[yokefello1]

He's a lock if healthy.

Even if not he might still get in. He's just too good all-around.

[QuakeAttack]

If healthy, I think he is a lock to make the roster. IMHO

You mean that he is playing and scoring goals. What if it's May and he had scored no goals for the USMNT and only a couple in MLS. Is a lock?

Frankly, I believe that he will make the roster because he is a game changer. The game against TnT in qualification sold me. Not the game against Panama which had basically folded up...

Plus, looking to the future, he is going to be the "man" at forward in the near future (I.e. 2010). Would be nice to get him some WC experience and have him coming off the bench (even starting if he is in form).

[Bajoro]

"Over the past week he's finally physically and psychologically recovered from his turf toe injury," Arena said. "That has been an obstacle for Eddie for a good six months or so, and that's completely past him. ... I think over the next couple of months Eddie should be back in full form and be a player who's challenging certainly for a spot on the World Cup roster."

(Yesterday's LA Times) (http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/wire/sns-ap-soc-wcup-us,1,4639645.story?coll=sns-ap-soccer-headlines)

[sidefootsitter]

Yes, he should be back in form ... but what if he ain't?

[Detective40oz]

and in his limited minutes has looked like a shadow of his former self.


as you say yourself "limited time". 20 garbage minutes vs. Japan, and against Canada where he got injured and nobody saw the game on live television? Let's at least see him get a start with the injuries behind him before we start saying things like he is a shadow of his former self.

[Ringo]

ok, so his toe is healthy.

how's his head?

[sregis]

Yes, he should be back in form ... but what if he ain't?

if he's healthy, but still not in form to BS standards, i'm betting he still goes.

[Ringo]

to BS standards


:eek:

i'm afraid to know what this means!

:eek:

[JRstriker12]

ok, so his toe is healthy.

how's his head?

He's a grown ass man! His head is on straight.

IMHO, he looked okay in junk time against Japan. Didn't get much of a chance to shoot. He would have had a chance for an open header, but the ball was sky high.

I think EJ would have to be unhealthy not to make the roster. I think his ability to finish with both his head and feet, and his speed are going to make him hard to replace. I think he goes unless he suffers another injury.

[Ringo]

He's a grown ass man! His head is on straight.

IMHO, he looked okay in junk time against Japan.


everything I've heard about him is that he's a headcase, funny nicknames aside.

he was ok in every sense of the word against japan. blah is another way to describe it. was that a record for most useless stepovers attempted per minute played, though? frankie will have to step it up a notch.

[Mr Martin]

...
If last WC has taught us anything, it's that Bruce plays the hot hand and isn't afraid to buck conventional wisdom. Hence he sat Mathis for lack of fitness v. Portugal even though Clint had been by a wide margin our most effective striker for the first half of 2002.

Thus I really can't see Bruce bringing a player along in the hopeful expectation that he'll rekindle lost form, even if that form was as brilliant as EJ's was a year or so ago.
...

I could reverse this chicken/egg comparison on you and argue that Mathis is a good example of how Arena is willing to take a gamble on a guy who isn't fit. Arena was on Mathis' case to get into better shape well before the WC, yet he still took him because of that special something Clint offered -- scoring goals. If anything, Johnson fits that pattern of not being fit, but offering that special something worth taking a risk on.

[um_chili]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Here are some responsive thoughts:

--Is this thread just a bait and switch? Sort of. I wanted the title to sound dramatic so it would shake up the ossified thinking around here regarding EJ. But I do think my claim does differ importantly from much of the thinking around here. That claim is that as things currently stand, EJ should be regarded as outside the current WC roster picture (thus I disagree with the claim that "He's a lock if healthy."). In other words, I think EJ has to show something--i.e., score some goals and play well--over the next couple months to earn a space and can't just rely on his great few months in 04/05 to justify a place.

--Is the Mathis comparison useful? I think the difference is that Mathis didn't make the WC roster on potential alone. He had explosive talent and had scored a lot of really impressive goals for us (something like seven in the lead up to the WC, I believe). If EJ can get on anything like the form Clint had, Arena would be insane not to take him. My point is that you can't make the roster based on potential; you need potential plus performance.

--Is my judgment premature? It would be if I'd asserted as a final conclusion that EJ certainly won't make the roster (and the text of my post makes clear that despite the title of the thread, this isn't my substantive assertion). However, I'm claiming that as of right now, EJ hasn't earned a space on the roster. He hasn't scored--or even played much--for the US in over a year. He's been chronically injured. These things could change, but right now I don't see him as anything like world cup level.

--Who else would I take? This is a really tough call, and probably the best argument for taking EJ without seeing more from him. However, I think we'd be better off taking the following four unless EJ proves that he should displace one of them: McBride, Twellman, Wollf, and Rolfe. Don't get me wrong; I'm not thrilled about that group. But I think Wolff's WC experience is valuable; and that Rolfe has showed some really impressive skills (albeit not defensively) in the past couple months. And both of these guys have at least scored for the US in the past year, which EJ hasn't. So right now, I think those should be the forwards based on their recent play that warrant a spot. I hope this changes. Which leads me to...

--Will EJ end up on the roster? I hope so. I was at the Panama game where he scored the sub hat-trick (albeit in trash-time). I saw every goal he scored in that span, and agree that when he's on his game he has the capacity to be the kind of brilliant, game-changing forward that the US has never really had (OK, Clint for a few months). However, if that's not the version of EJ that we see for the next few months, I don't think he should be assumed into the roster because of past form. You have to earn it. That's EJ's challenge for the next few months. I hope he's up to it. Guatemala will be the first step.

[sidefootsitter]

... he was ok in every sense of the word against japan. blah is another way to describe it. was that a record for most useless stepovers attempted per minute played, though? frankie will have to step it up a notch. Let me bring up another anti-Johnson point.

In most games he scored, the US had a complete dominance of the midfield and he didn't have to do anything but to remain in the penalty box and poach.

In games where the midfield was contested, he had trouble connecting with his team mates, reading their intent, making himself available for their passes, etc.

In the World Cup, the US isn't likely to dominate the midfield in any of the games and team work will be especially important.

Can a few months in KC (or NY/NJ) accomplish that for him? I don't know.

[Mr Martin]

If EJ doesn't gets his health and form back in time for Arena's selection in May, then I think Arena commits to Donovan as the "replacement" striker. He will add another central midfielder to provide cover for Reyna, O'Brien, and Mastro; probably Zavagnin.

In a nutshell, if EJ doesn't make the squad, then I see Arena taking Zavagnin rather than Rolfe, because Donovan is more dangerous at striker than anyone other than McBride and Johnson.

[Allamerican74]

Kid scores 8 goals in 10 games and still doesn't get respect from some areas of BS.:rolleyes: