Ching over Johnson?!

[arkjayback]

I am completely for keeping Johnson on. He has loads of potential, just went to Fulham in the last transfer period, and is still relatively young. Altidore has been injured and sold to Villareal, Bradley finally got rid of Wolff(hopefully), but continues to pass on Cooper and calls in Ching.

Ching missed numerous chances, got an undeserved goal when offsides on a good ball struck by Matroeni, and wiffed on the ball luckily converted as an own goal by the defender before eventually being set up perfectly against a tired defense that had given up. Johnson is in the game for 2 minutes and delivers on a solid header.

I know Ching is always pretty good against CONCACAF opponents and not very good against the rest, but if he was going to start today, then why wasn't he called in for one of those three friendlies?

For three straight games, Johnson was thrown out there against three of the best teams in the world following a huge lack of playing time over the last six months. If those three friendlies were preparation, then why was Johnson always on the pitch against three top teams and then not given his chance to shine against Barbados?

I think BB has done a good job leading this team, but some of his personnel decisions rather annoy me: Wolff, Ching, Rogers, Cooper, etc.

[Neuwerld]

I prefer Johnson over Ching. Neither is that great, but Ching has less upside. He's six years older, slower, and can't finish any better.

[alocksley]

ANYONE over Johnson. At least Ching holds the ball up well and has some chemistry with Donovan.

[The Clientele]

ANYONE over Johnson. At least Ching holds the ball up well and has some chemistry with Donovan.

Agreed. I think Ching has a better overall game then EJ... For one thing, I don't think Ching loses the ball with every other touch...

[Crazy_Yank]

I thought Ching over Johnson was the right decision. I'd like to see Buddle or Cooper get a shot as well.

[SUDano]

Agreed. I think Ching has a better overall game then EJ... For one thing, I don't think Ching loses the ball with every other touch...

Ching doesn't lose the ball with every other touch - just every touch.
Let's not get too excited over this game and get carried away. Twellman or (insert name here who didn't play in game)would have had a hat trick against Barbados. Scoring Ratios: Ching 1 each per 45 minutes
Johnson 1 every 10 minutes. Simply no way to use this game as an evaluation tool for Anyone!

[schrutebuck]

Doesn't Johnson have the 3rd most goals in WCQ history for the US (behind LD and I think either McBride or Stewart). Against CONCACAF quality competition, he's fine.

I for one was happy Johnson got on and ended his scoring drought.

[NYCONEONTA]

I liked dempsey up top.

[sidefootsitter]

They're probably fairly equal players but it was asinine not to have Chinger in camp and getting PT in the friendlies.

I didn't think he looked good today at all - though luck was on his side.

But luck tends to meander a lot.

Sometimes it's with you and sometimes it ain't.

One should hate to use it all up on a stupid match like this and then have to suffer the indignities of fortune later when it matters.

[Tejas]

Six straight national team starts without a goal tends to lower your stock as a striker.

Here's my primary concern about EJ: He doesn't appear to have the fire in the belly nor the mentality to take advantage of his athletic skill consistently at the national team level. If you took EJ's natural abilities and combined them with the mentality of a Twellman, a Ching, or a Beasley he would probably set himself apart as the best striker we have.

When the team he is playing for is playing well, and he is getting service in his comfort zone he is a reasonably dangerous striker, but basically the game has to come to him and he doesn't produce much outside of that zone. He appears to neither be developing additional skill sets nor improving on what we already know he is capable of. Maybe that will come with time, I remember that McBride was a good young player but he developed his game as time went on and improved quite a bit. I hope Johnson goes that route, but right now he just seems to be the same type of player he has always been and I can't see much development at all, which partly suggests that he doesn't have the mindset that you want as you're first choice on the Nats.

Either way, I'd say that he has left the door open for Josey, and I don't think it will be much of question in a few years who the preferred choice is.

[sportin_mad_LBs]

i know ching is slow, but DAMN, he looked sloooooooww.

johnson > ching

much, much, much more dangerous

[shotcallin04]

I have to agree with the sentiment of the original post on this one:

Why bother seasoning EJ in those big friendlies, giving him playing time against tough teams in which you know he is going to struggle against superior opponents, and then not give him a chance for redemption against the minnow?

I mean, weren't the friendlies meant to be opportunities to instill certain values and lessons in the team? Bob Bradley, however, decided to start a player who did not see a single minute in those friendlies.

EJ then proceeded to come into the game and start the onslaught that was the final 10 minutes of the game. His goal was clinical, and his hold-up play and passing were superb.

I assume EJ will get the start in the next game. These are exactly the type of games he needs to be playing in after the tough stretch he has gone through. He needs some reassurance that he has made some progress, and that, even though he hasn't been scoring goals, he still has the ability to help the team.

Oh, and for people who say we learned nothing from the team in this friendly - it was the highest margin of victory in USMNT history. Say what you want about Bob Bradley's tactics (I personally find them to be maddening), but you have to applaud the fact that he was able to schedule the 3 big friendlies, and they certainly seemed to have given the team some confidence going into the summer.

[Beazley17]

I have to agree with the sentiment of the original post on this one:

Why bother seasoning EJ in those big friendlies, giving him playing time against tough teams in which you know he is going to struggle against superior opponents, and then not give him a chance for redemption against the minnow?

I mean, weren't the friendlies meant to be opportunities to instill certain values and lessons in the team? Bob Bradley, however, decided to start a player who did not see a single minute in those friendlies.

EJ then proceeded to come into the game and start the onslaught that was the final 10 minutes of the game. His goal was clinical, and his hold-up play and passing were superb.

I assume EJ will get the start in the next game. These are exactly the type of games he needs to be playing in after the tough stretch he has gone through. He needs some reassurance that he has made some progress, and that, even though he hasn't been scoring goals, he still has the ability to help the team.

Oh, and for people who say we learned nothing from the team in this friendly - it was the highest margin of victory in USMNT history. Say what you want about Bob Bradley's tactics (I personally find them to be maddening), but you have to applaud the fact that he was able to schedule the 3 big friendlies, and they certainly seemed to have given the team some confidence going into the summer.


Agree, especially about EJ. Great finish, and his touch looked good, and also added a little flair, and made some nice passes. He could of had a hat trick today, easy.

[NGV]

Agree, especially about EJ. Great finish, and his touch looked good, and also added a little flair, and made some nice passes. He could of had a hat trick today, easy.
He was brought into the game to face exhausted defenders from the Barbados league and USL-2. Those guys didn't stand a chance of keeping up with him. I think Johnson has the potential to be a useful NT player, but I wouldn't read anything into how he did today.

Johnson and Ching are about even in my mind, but have different strengths and are best suited for different situations. Ching is better with his back to goal and better at setting up other players, and is more likely to finish crosses and corners with his head. Johnson has more speed and acceleration, and is stronger on the counterattack.

[Galaxian]

I
For three straight games, Johnson was thrown out there against three of the best teams in the world following a huge lack of playing time over the last six months. If those three friendlies were preparation, then why was Johnson always on the pitch against three top teams and then not given his chance to shine against Barbados?

.

Johnson played against three big opponents, and managed to do absolutely nothing against England, show a glimpse or two against Spain before missing a point blank header, then getting into a couple good positions against England, all while passing backwards and still having a shite first touch ( ok he did slightly better against Spain and Argentina I know, but it still just isnt good enough ).

Johnson came on today against tired , beaten defenders, and scored a fairly easy header. Ching wasnt fantastic, but Ching offers a better target player, who can actually see the game and incorporate other players into the attack.

EJ has so much potential, but that just doesnt score goals.

[Sinter]

All in all... good to see both players scoring as it will only boost their confidence for later rounds.

For all the "potential" EJ has however... he needs to start producing more. He flat out seems lost out there usually and when one of our mid's aren't playing fetch with him, he doesn't know what to do.

[sportscribe]

EJ should be used in the qualifiers and discarded. He cannot play effectively against any team that isn't ranked below 90 on the FIFA rankings.

[IndividualEleven]

I don't think it was Bradley who scheduled the friendlies. These two players are basically pre-hex players. Neither has shown much against teams ranked aboved elo 70 or so.

[scaryice]

Ching should start for the semifinal round, then (hopefully) give way to Altidore.

[Untroubled by Reason]

The truth is, it's a long, long qualifying season. Chances are, Bradley will need both Ching and Johnson. Fortunately, since one is based in England and the other in MLS, Bradley will have the luxury of choosing who's in form, who's in season, who'd healthy.

I'm hoping Altidore's club lets him participate in the Olympics to see what he's got. I like what I've seen of him so far.